Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has issued an Executive Order requiring the entire fleet of state vehicles to switch to electric by 2035.
The Governor made the announcement Monday in Albuquerque during a symposium on the future of transportation in New Mexico.
The executive order directs departments to purchase zero-emission vehicles or ZEVs for all new acquisitions where one or more options are available.
Lujan Grisham says the move will show the state is willing to walk the walk when it comes to moving away from fossil fuels.
“And for all of the folks who appropriately have chastized and pressured us that we don’t have enough EV, we are in the top ten states nationally and that’s not to suggest to you that that’s sufficient,” she said. “But when the New York Times writes an article that you're looking to do electric vehicle tourism and you want be in mountains and have incredible vistas and views, look no further than Northern New Mexico.”
The executive order allows for some exceptions, including law enforcement and firefighting vehicles.
Lujan Grisham is also proposing new tax credits for the purchase of electric vehicles.
The governor's proposed tax credits would apply to new and used electric vehicles to help meet the state's and the country's climate goals.
Part of New Mexico's electric vehicle transition funding is coming from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure law, which is expected to allocate an estimated $38.6 million to the state supporting the use of electric vehicles.
