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If a tree has fallen in the woods and you’re driving one of the new US Forest Service vehicles, you should be hearing it.
The agency acquired three nearly silent Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickups for testing.
They are part of a 12-month program to evaluate their effectiveness compared to the Forest Service’s internal combustion engine vehicles and identify issues that need to be addressed before it begins transitioning to a zero emissions light duty fleet by 2027.
“This is a quasi-experimental approach to systematically evaluate the use (frequency, quality, safety, experience) of EVs relative to the use of Internal combustion vehicles during the study period,” an agency spokesperson said. on Fox News Digital.
TEST DRIVE: THE 2022 FORD F-150 LIGHTNING IS A POWERHOUSE PICKUP THAT CAN BREAK THE HOUSE
The F-150 Lightning Pro has a range of 230 miles between charges.
(U.S. Forest Service)
The three test trucks were entry-level F-150 Lightning Pros with all-wheel-drive and 230 miles of range between charges. It is currently listed at a starting retail price of $53,769. Aside from the Forest Service logo painted on the doors, they haven’t been modified in any way.
The Fords will be deployed by the Forest Service’s Eastern Region in the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania, Huran-Manistee National Forests in Michigan and White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire.
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The Eastern Region operates 1,489 vehicles today. Thirteen of them are hybrid and seven run on compressed natural gas. The Forest Service’s nationwide fleet is 18,250 total vehicles with 24 hybrids.
The US Forest Service currently has 32 charging ports nationwide for plug-in hybrid and electric utility task vehicles, including a solar-powered station in Oregon.
(U.S. Forest Service)
“In a parallel effort, the Forest Service will also focus on the data gathered by expanding the use of fleet telematics,” the spokesperson said.
“This technology will provide fleet managers with the hard data needed for planning charging station deployments and for maximizing the use of battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.”
The US Forest Service motored Ford Model Ts in the early 20th century.
(U.S. Forest Service)
The move to a plug-in fleet is in response to President Biden’s executive order calling for the entire federal government fleet of more than 600,000 vehicles to become zero emissions.
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The Forest Service will follow its light duty vehicles in transitioning its heavier trucks to zero emissions models by 2035.
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