DeLand FL, Buys Five Chevy Volts For City Fleet

The DeLand FL City Council has decided to buy five Chevrolet Volts for use as city vehicles, joining several Toyota Prius and Camry Hybrid models already in the fleet.

City Commissioner Leigh Matusick said the city has a $1.2 million federal grant that is earmarked partially to help with the purchase of alternative-fuel vehicles and other energy-efficient upgrades, including electrical charging stations at City Hall.

Starling Chevrolet-Cadillac is selling the city the Volts, which carry a base price of $39,995, and will replace a van and four trucks in DeLand's fleet.

While the Volt, like hybrids, has a small gasoline engine, it is technically an-electric vehicle (because it is powered by an electric motor). After the onboard batteries are depleted, the gasoline engine powers the electric motor until the Volt can be plugged into electrical current for overnight recharging.

The cars will likely be delivered to the city next week.

The EPA rates the Volt at 35 mpg city, 40 mpg when the gasoline engine is powering the electric motor. On electricity only, the Volt is rated at 95 mpg city, 93 mpg highway, reflecting what the EPA considers the petroleum-related cost of generating and delivering electricity.

"We feel like DeLand is on the cutting edge of energy conservation," Matusick said, "and this helps keep us there."

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