Five Massachusetts state agencies will install XL Hybrids’ XL3 Hybrid Electric Drive System in 52 vehicles. The vehicle conversions will be funded by $1.3 million in grant funding, announced Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker.

The hybrid-electric vehicles will be deployed at the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), Massachusetts Environmental Police, Department of Correction (DOC), Department of Developmental Services (DDS), and Department of Youth Services (DYS). The upgrades were made possible by support from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC).

The State of Massachusetts placed the order after seeing successful results from past vehicle conversions by XL Hybrids for the DCR and Environmental Police vehicles. Those vehicle upfits, which are on a mix of Ford Transit vans, Ford E-Series Cutaways, and Chevy Express vans, have saved 650 gallons of gasoline to date and the agencies expect to save nearly 82,000 gallons over the life of the systems. The vehicles are up to 25% more efficient and the fleets have already seen an 18 percent decrease in carbon emissions.

The upgrades for the DOC, DDS, and DYS vehicles are expected to cut annual fuel costs by more than $10,000 as well as reduce brake maintenance costs and cut greenhouse gas emissions. 

The grants were announced as part of “Climate Week,” a week highlighting the state’s efforts to prepare for and combat climate change.

“Modernizing our state fleet with fuel-efficient technology will save taxpayer money on fuel costs and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions,” Governor Baker said in a statement. “We are proud to support Massachusetts’ vibrant and growing cleantech industry and continue to lead the nation in clean energy innovation.”

XL Hybrids vehicles utilize the XL Link cloud-based big data analytics system, which measures MPG performance and reports sustainability benefits. The proprietary XL Link vehicle connectivity is a continuous data link from every vehicle, collecting millions of operational data points, allowing analysis and reports on key performance indicators.