Montgomery County, Md., has purchased 16 new Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles (EVs) at a cost of $622,254. The Bolts are replacing 15 Chevrolet Cavaliers and Cobalts, and a Toyota Prius, that are all being retired from service.

“I am committed to modernizing this government while lowering our carbon footprint,” said Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett. “I want to modernize the buildings, equipment, vehicles, and other resources available to the men and women who serve this county every day. What we are showing today is an important step in a larger effort to expand the county fleet of alternatively fueled vehicles and equipment over the next several years.”

The Chevrolet Bolt is a 100%, electric-powered vehicle that utilizes energy stored in a lithium-ion battery pack produced by LG Chem. The vehicles emit no tailpipe pollutants, and EVs provide quiet, smooth operation; offer stronger acceleration; and require less maintenance than internal combustion engines, according to the agency.

The vehicles being replaced used approximately 56,900 gallons of gasoline in their lifetimes, at a cost of $133,000. The 2002 Cavalier traveled, on average, about 230 miles on a tank of fuel. The Bolt EV uses no gasoline and can travel an EPA-estimated 238 miles on a full electric charge.

With these 16 Bolts, the County will have a total of 243 battery-electric and hybrid-electric vehicles with 29 charging stations throughout the county. The Department of General Services (DGS) also installed idle-reduction software on 35 additional vehicles and has realized a 5% increase in fuel economy on those vehicles.