Elmhurst Buying Electric Vehicle For Police Department

ELMHURST, IL – The Elmhurst City Council decided Monday to buy an electric vehicle for the police department, with one member expressing concerns.

The $58,000 vehicle is a Chevrolet Blazer EV 9C3, which is set to be an unmarked detective vehicle.

It is replacing a 2019 Toyota RAV4, which has about 78,000 miles. The Toyota's repair costs have exceeded $12,000.

Alderwoman Noel Talluto said she was concerned about charging such cars in the field and the time for repairing them.

She also said the Chevrolet Blazer would cost the city 44 percent more than a gas-powered vehicle. But she said that comparison doesn't take into account the costs for a gas vehicle's fuel.

She said the city would spend $36,000 for each of the four charging stations it planned to install.

"We are spending additional dollars to test this concept," Talluto said.

She said she was confident the police department would cancel the "experiment" if electric vehicles end up being risky for public safety.

Aldermen Mike Brennan and Rex Irby both said they own electric vehicles and that they find the maintenance costs to be minimal.

"I'm excited about the vehicle, and I'm looking forward to the results," Irby said.

Alderman Jacob Hill said he was concerned about what he considered the relatively short replacement cycles for city vehicles. But he acknowledged the necessary idling of police vehicles, which is not factored into mileage.

"I am hoping to find more ways to eke out more life out of these cars," Hill said. "I would be curious to hear the rationale for replacing a car after five years."

The City Council unanimously supported the purchase. Alderman Emily Bastedo was absent.

The city expects to get the car in four to five months.