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The US is full of National Parks, most of which are full of lush forests. Someone has to preserve all that nature, and it would be nice if they didn’t have to pollute so much to do it. That’s why the US Forest Service is now starting a pilot program with three new Ford F-150 Lightning all-electric pickup trucks, responding to an executive order from President Biden to push the government’s fleet in zero-emission vehicles.
As a Forest Service representative pointed out in an email to MotorTrendPresident Biden’s Executive Order 14057, titled Catalyzing America’s Clean Energy Economy Through Federal Sustainability, calls for all federal government light duty vehicle acquisitions to be zero-emission vehicles beginning in 2027, and for all other acquisition (including medium duty) is required to follow suit in 2035.
The Forest Service’s initial 12-month fleet trial so far features only three all-electric F-150 Lightning pickups in its Eastern region that includes the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania, the Huron-Manistee National Forests in Michigan, and the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire. The half-ton crew cab 4×4 trucks are equipped with up to 230 miles of range per charge, suggesting the Forest Service went with either the Pro or XLT trims.
The trial aims to develop a zero-emission fleet strategy that determines overall fleet size and vehicle type composition, development of refueling and recharging infrastructure, and development of data gathering and fleet telematics for the deployment of charging stations and efficient use of vehicles and energy. Here’s more from a Forest Service spokesperson’s email to MotorTrend:
“The Northern Research Station, based in Madison, Wisconsin, coordinated a 12-month pilot research component focused on the social science aspect of fleet electrification. It was a quasi-experimental approach to systematically evaluate the use (frequency, quality, safety , experience) of EVs relative to internal combustion vehicle use during the study period.This approach will directly match forest districts with access to EVs to those that do not of implementing the EV pilot program. The Forest Service is always looking for ways to make our fleet more sustainable and is committed to reducing the agency’s greenhouse gas emissions through innovation.”
The Forest Service currently operates a total fleet of 18,250 total vehicles, 24 of which are currently some type of hybrid model. In the Eastern Region, where the three battery-electric Lightnings will be deployed, they join 1,489 vehicles, 13 of which are hybrid and seven are compressed natural gas. The fleet is currently supported by a total of 32 charging ports, including a solar-powered station.
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