Which City Will Have Most Hybrids, Electric Cars In Its Fleet?

When it comes to deploying plug-in electric cars in municipal fleets, Indianapolis appears to be leading the way.

The city announced last week that it will replace 425 non-police-pursuit vehicles with electric cars and plug-in hybrids by early 2016, as it works toward a goal of converting the entire fleet to "post-oil technology" by 2025.

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The influx of plug-in cars will give Indianapolis the largest fleet of its kind in the U.S., the city says.

And the transition is made possible in large part by a new financing model developed by Vision Fleet, which is partnering with Indianapolis on the green-fleet effort.

Known as the "Clean Mile Solution," this financing model combines all of the costs of ownership--including purchase prices, fuel or electricity costs, and maintenance--into one set fee.

It's a method that resembles a popular model used to finance clean-energy projects, GreenTech Media notes--one that has dramatically increased the adoption of those types of projects.

Under this setup, Indianapolis will pay for the use of cars over time, without owning them outright.

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