Location: Augusta, Maine
Fleet type: Light-duty electric vehicles (Municipal)
Narrative
As Maine works towards its ambitious climate goals, the State of Maine’s Central Fleet Management Division (CFM) is helping lead the transition to cleaner transportation across state government. Operating within the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, the Management Division procures and manages vehicles used by numerous state agencies, making it a key driver of electrification efforts statewide.
Transportation is Maine’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for nearly half (49%)
of statewide emissions. Recognizing the critical role transportation plays in meeting climate goals, Maine established fleet electrification targets through its Lead by Example initiative and Maine Won’t Wait Climate Action Plan.
Established in 2021, Lead By Example is a state government-wide effort to reduce greenhouse gases and advance clean energy through targeted actions in state-owned facilities and operations. Through this plan, the State of Maine committed to ensuring that at least 50% of new light-duty fleet acquisitions are ZEVs or PHEVs by 2025, increasing to 100% by 2030 where operationally appropriate. Along with EV acquisition, the State has pledged to ensure the availability of adequate and coordinated charging infrastructure to meet this target. These goals position the State government as a demonstration fleet that can showcase the benefits of vehicle electrification to municipalities, businesses, and residents across Maine.
Maine DOT’s Ford F150 Lightning (Source: MaineDOT)
The Lead by Example initiative is shaping vehicle and infrastructure investments across state agencies. Agencies including MaineDOT, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the Maine State Police have incorporated hybrid and electric vehicles into their fleets. The Department of Marine Resources upgraded one of its patrol vessel engines to a more efficient model, reducing particulate matter emissions by 50 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions by 40 percent. Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture Conservation and Forestry has upgraded their fleet vehicles and the Bureau of General Services has installed 17 EV charging stations throughout the State’s Augusta campus as well as in Bangor and Portland, with plans for an additional 14 to be installed in Augusta’s west campus by October of 2026. In addition to the implementation of light-duty electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, the Lead by Example report lays out that “State government agencies will pilot, where practicable, emerging low and zero emission technologies for medium and heavy-duty vehicles” as greater options become available. Together, these efforts demonstrate how state agencies are contributing to Maine’s broader electrification and emissions-reduction goals through both vehicle adoption and supporting infrastructure investments.
Under the Central Fleet’s acquisition policy, the most efficient models, zero emission Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) are prioritized first, followed by Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), then Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs). However, to ensure fleet electrification goals remain operationally feasible, Maine allows agencies to apply for exemptions when electric vehicles are not a suitable option. These exemptions recognize that certain vehicle applications – such as emergency response’s specialized equipment needs, limited charging availability, insufficient vehicle range, or excessive costs – may require the continued use of conventional vehicles until technology and infrastructure evolve to meet those needs.
Outputs & Outcomes
Outputs
The State of Maine purchases approximately 200–230 vehicles annually. As the fleet transitions toward hybrid and electric vehicles, two primary challenges have emerged: ongoing supply chain constraints affecting vehicle availability and the need to expand charging infrastructure to support fleet operations statewide. However, Maine’s commitment to fleet electrification has resulted in steady progress toward reducing emissions and modernizing state fleet operations. Since 2020, the number of battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in the Central Fleet has grown from 21 vehicles (5 EVs and 16 hybrids) to 176 electrified vehicles in 2026, including 36 battery-electric vehicles, 31 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and 109 hybrid electric vehicles. This growth supports the state’s fleet acquisition goals of having 50% of newly purchased or leased light-duty vehicles be zero emission or plug- in hybrid vehicles by 2025 and 100% by 2030.
Outcomes
The adoption of EVs within Maine’s Central Fleet has helped reduce emissions and improve environmental performance across state operations. As BEVs produce no tailpipe emissions, they eliminate the direct release of pollutants such as carbon dioxide, particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds during vehicle operation. Fleet electrification supports Maine’s broader climate goals by reducing reliance on petroleum fuels and lowering transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. Mileage from our electric/hybrid fleet has grown dramatically—from 24,000 miles in 2021 to 360,000 miles in 2025.
Beyond the direct environmental benefits, Maine’s Central Fleet serves as a demonstration fleet for other public and private organizations considering electrification. Through its Lead by Example initiative, the state showcases how electric vehicles can be integrated into fleet operations while supporting agency missions. The experience gained through vehicle deployment, charging infrastructure installation, and day-to-day fleet management helps inform future electrification efforts and provides a model for public and private fleets across Maine.
Importantly, the State’s investment in charging infrastructure has expanded alongside vehicle adoption. Through initiatives such as Recharge Maine and the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program, Maine has continued to expand the charging infrastructure needed to support fleet and public EV adoption. Recharge Maine is a collaborative effort among several state agencies to build a convenient, reliable, and accessible charging network across Maine, with a particular focus on the most heavily traveled roads and highways. The NEVI Program is a federally funded initiative designed to help states expand EV charging infrastructure along designated transportation corridors. Administered in Maine by the Department of Transportation (MaineDOT), the program allocated more than $15 million to the State between 2022 and 2025 to support the deployment of fast-charging stations and improve charging accessibility for drivers. In addition, the State has supported EV charging deployment through Efficiency Maine‘s incentive programs, which provide funding for residential, workplace, multifamily, and public charging installations, helping reduce barriers to EV adoption across Maine. As the number of electric vehicles and charging stations continues to grow, the state is building institutional knowledge around fleet electrification and helping create a stronger foundation for broader EV adoption across Maine.
These investments will not only reduce emissions, but will save taxpayer money as a result of the lower operating and maintenance costs of the EVs, and saved utility costs from more efficient energy and heating systems.
As Maine continues working toward its 2030 fleet electrification goals, Central Fleet Management’s experience demonstrates that transitioning to electric vehicles is both achievable and beneficial. Through strategic vehicle adoption, investments in charging infrastructure, and collaboration across state agencies, Maine is reducing emissions, lowering operating costs, and building the knowledge and infrastructure needed to support long-term transportation electrification. By leading through example, the state is helping pave the way for broader EV adoption among municipalities, businesses, and residents across Maine.
Best Practices & Lessons Learned
As Maine’s Central Fleet continues to expand its use of EVs, the state has gained valuable experience that can help inform other fleets considering electrification. One of the most important lessons learned is that vehicle acquisition and charging infrastructure planning must occur together. Before deploying EVs, agencies should ensure that adequate and coordinated charging infrastructure is available to support daily operations and meet vehicle charging needs. Establishing charging access early can help maximize vehicle utilization and reduce operational challenges as fleets transition away from conventional fuels.
Central Fleet has also found that flexibility is critical when implementing an electrification strategy. While BEVs are prioritized whenever feasible, maintaining a mix of vehicle technologies – including plug-in hybrid and hybrid vehicles – can help agencies continue making progress toward sustainability goals when operational requirements, vehicle availability, or infrastructure limitations make full electrification difficult.
Active and Planned Publicly Funded EV Chargers (Source: Efficiency Maine)
Like many fleets across the country, Maine has faced challenges associated with vehicle availability and supply chain disruptions. In 2022, Central Fleet faced significant supply-chain challenges when manufacturers cancelled 44 previously placed vehicle orders, including 5 Ford F-150 Lightning battery-electric pickups and 39 hybrid sedans. Had those vehicles been delivered, they would have represented more than 25 percent of the fleet’s vehicle acquisitions that year. Instead, the cancellations left Central Fleet an entire procurement cycle behind schedule, showing how external market conditions can affect even well-planned fleet electrification efforts.
The state has also recognized the importance of continued investment in charging infrastructure throughout Maine. While charging availability continues to improve through programs such as NEVI and Recharge Maine, reliable charging access remains a key consideration for fleets operating across a large, and predominantly rural, state. As public and workplace charging networks continue to expand, agencies will have greater flexibility to incorporate electric vehicles into a wider range of fleet applications.
Despite these challenges, the Central Fleet remains committed to its long-term electrification goals. Central Fleet’s experience demonstrates that fleet electrification is an iterative process requiring thoughtful planning, adaptability, and ongoing investment in both vehicles and charging infrastructure. As vehicle availability improves and charging networks continue to grow, the State is well positioned to build on its progress and continue leading by example for other fleets throughout Maine.
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