Continuing its drive for sustainability, Alabama A&M has rolled out an EV campus police fleet.

With four new electric vehicles, A&M became the first university in the state to operate an all-electric police vehicle fleet.

“We’re the first police department in the state to have this type of vehicle supporting a university campus,” said Police Chief Montrez Payton. “That’s something we’re very proud of – supporting green initiatives while still being able to respond efficiently to the needs of our students and campus community.”

In 2019, Alabama A&M became the first college in the state and first HBCU in the nation to introduce electric buses for campus transportation. Officials have set a long-term goal to reach zero emissions on The Hill by 2031.

Though they’re electric-powered, the Chevy Blazer EVs have all the bells and whistles as regular patrol cars, Payton said.

“These are police-packaged vehicles – they’re not just EVs,” he said. “They have all the same capabilities and equipment as traditional patrol vehicles. Even though they’re fully electric, they support everything we need from a functionality standpoint.”

According to university officials, the EVs are primarily for on-campus patrols. The school’s Department of Public Safety will use its gas-powered vehicles for longer-distance travel to support off-campus activities.

In addition to supporting sustainability goals, Payton said the EVs will generate long-term cost savings for A&M.

“It’s a tremendous benefit,” he says. “You eliminate oil changes and many of the maintenance costs that come with gas-powered vehicles, while still maintaining the same response capabilities.

“The technology in these EVs has improved tremendously over the years, and after test-driving and speaking with campuses in Georgia that have already transitioned to EVs, we felt confident this was the right direction for us.”

Last semester, DPS opened a dedicated charging station behind the University Services Building to support the new fleet.

Also, to enhance the cost-savings, the vehicles were acquired through federal appropriations, making the investment cost-free for the university, Payton said.

“The federal government wanted to invest in our campus and campus safety,” he said. “That support made this possible at no cost to Alabama A&M.”

Payton said the new vehicles have been well received by officers.

“They appreciate the investment the university has made in campus safety,” he said. “They feel we’re on par with any other agency, while also being part of something innovative. Being the first to do this is meaningful for our officers and for our campus community.

“It’s an exciting time for Alabama A&M.”