Just west of downtown Chicago is the Village of Oak Park, a community of roughly 54,500 people that live within its 4.7 square miles.
Modern Oak Park started out with just two residents. British settlers Joseph and Betty Kettlestrings moved from Yorkshire, England, and built a small frame house near present-day Lake Street and Harlem Avenue in 1835. By 1848, many others had arrived in the area on the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad—the first train to run west from Chicago. The area was eventually named Oak Park and incorporated as a village under Illinois law on January 25, 1902.
Since then, the Village of Oak Park has developed into a thriving and forward-thinking community. Known for its progressive values, the Oak Park Village Board declared a climate crisis and adopted the Climate Ready Oak Park sustainability and resiliency plan on August 1, 2022. The plan aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.
One of the ways in which the Village has made changes to reach these goals is by incorporating alternative fuel and alternative fuel vehicles into its fleet of 200+ municipal vehicles and equipment, which includes police and fire emergency response vehicles and a number of vehicles for the Park District of Oak Park. Beyond reducing tailpipe emissions and noise, the changes support the Village’s goals around equity and environmental justice.
Building a more sustainable fleet
The fleet first started experiencing changes in 2002, when Ron Fantetti, former Superintendent of Fleet Services, implemented bi-fuel CNG vehicles and a CNG station. This was later expanded to include 24 units. He also began filling the diesel vehicles with B20 diesel, which contains 20% biodiesel, in 2007, when the Village of Oak Park’s Public Works Center opened. B20, which is produced in the Midwest, reduces harmful emissions and does not require fueling infrastructure or equipment upgrades after proper initial setup. The Village also purchased an early EV in 2011, but at the time, it was not the best fit for their needs.
Current Superintendent of Fleet Services, Ken Crowley, has worked for the Village of Oak Park since October 1989 and took over the superintendent position in 2014. While the CNG program is currently on pause because the Village’s duty cycles cannot justify the costs to upfit vehicles for CNG, every vehicle and piece of equipment that requires diesel is still fueled with B20. Additionally, the Village began its official EV transition in 2019 with the installation of EV charging stations at the Village Hall and by acquiring five EVs for inspectors.
Switching the fleet to have a majority of alternative fuel vehicles has made both practical and business sense to the Village.
“First and foremost, we value breathing clean air. Additionally, with newer technology, it costs us less to buy and operate the latest EV and hybrid vehicles, helping us be responsible stewards of taxpayer money,” said Crowley.
The fleet now consists of 119 alternative fuel vehicles running on electric, B20, or as an electric-hybrid. The EV and hybrid portion of the fleet includes 28 EVs and 41 hybrids and are utilized by nearly every department, including administration, police, parking, fire, public works, water, and environmental services. The EVs in the fleet are Nissan Leafs, Ford EV Vans, and police EV Blazers, with the Leafs used for its inspectors and pool vehicles and the vans for Animal Control and the Water Department Meter Technicians. The police Blazers are take-home vehicles for the command staff.
To help implement these changes, the Village has taken advantage of available rebates through the manufacturers and has worked with its local electricity provider, ComEd, which has provided rebates through its ComEd Business & Public Sector EV Program. The Village is also currently in the process of applying for the IRS Commercial Clean Vehicle Tax Credit rebates that were made available to municipalities in 2023.
The Village of Oak Park has gone beyond simply bringing in new, more sustainable vehicles and equipment for its fleet, however. The fleet is also ASE (Automotive Society of Engineers) Blue Seal Certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. This means that at least 75% of its technicians are ASE certified. Additionally, six staff members have also obtained ASE Master Technician Status and have Emergency Vehicle Technician certifications. These certifications show the technicians’ professionalism, experience, and dedication to staying up-to-date in their field so they can best serve the Village of Oak Park and its sustainable fleet.
“We search for training on all of our equipment, regardless of whether it uses alternative fuel. The technicians are professionals and take their jobs seriously,” said Crowley. “Vehicles and technology are constantly evolving in our industry, and it is expected that we will be learning throughout our entire careers. The hard part is finding training on new tech, as it is evolving so quickly.”
The Village of Oak Park has been recognized multiple times for its efforts in becoming more sustainable. In 2018, the Fleet Services Division within the Village’s Public Works Department earned a 2018 Green Award from the Environment & Energy Commission. The following year, it was recognized as a Top Green Fleet by Heavy Duty Truck (HDT), which annually chooses fleets that are sustainability leaders in their industry. In 2023, it was also the only community out of 16 communities to receive a gold designation upon completion of the EV Readiness Program.
Advice on developing a sustainable fleet
Crowley has worked with fleets for over 30 years and with that experience comes a wide array of knowledge on how other fleets can get started incorporating alternative fuel vehicles and equipment:
- Electric vehicles: Start with low-hanging fruit. Everyone has at least one vehicle with a central parking location, and it has a small duty cycle that will fit an EV.
- B20: Contact your local Clean Cities and Communities representative or an organization that is using B20 to learn the steps to prepare your fleet for the changeover.
- Hybrids: The easiest transition since they are very similar to what most people are used to.
“No matter what you choose to do, providing training and education, as well as reaching out to individuals who are already using the type of vehicle for personal use, is crucial,” said Crowley. “For example, if you have an employee who uses an EV as their personal vehicle, placing them in an EV for work would be your best bet, as they are comfortable with the technology. They can then realistically let you know if there are any hindrances to doing their job.”
He also notes the importance of educating employees on the technology and demonstrating how it can meet their work needs. There will otherwise likely be push back, as employees will look for reasons why switching to the new vehicle or equipment will not work. Change is scary.
“Making sure the technology you choose can still provide employees with the tools to do their jobs is nonnegotiable,” said Crowley.
His last piece of advice is to keep it simple: “Don’t overcomplicate it. Talk to others about what they’ve done and what has worked, as well as what hasn’t. Every fleet is different—what works for my 4.7 square miles might not work for someone with a larger footprint.”
Looking toward the future
The Village of Oak Park plans to make its fleet even more sustainable. This includes continuing to place EVs where possible, expanding the hybrid fleet, potential grant funds for large equipment electrification, and exploring converting the diesel fleet to B100 usage, though this is hindered by a lack of space for fueling infrastructure. Additionally, the fleet is now waiting on long-term plans that involve the Village Hall and police department before expanding the EV infrastructure, which will allow it to increase its EV conversions.
For more information on the Village of Oak Park’s fleet, visit their website. Additionally, if you are looking to switch to electric vehicles, this helpful video explains Crowley’s process when deciding on adopting EVs and EV infrastructure.