Evanston companies are helping to lead the way in the transition to fossil-free transportation with a jump-start from the city Support Evanston program.
Last year, the program provided more than $200,000 in grants to 18 local businesses to help them implement projects aligned with the city's Climate Action and Resilience Plan while also reducing costs and improving customer service. Three of these companies used their grants to reduce carbon emissions by enhancing the capacity of their electric vehicles.
With a grant of $25,000 Collective Compost Resource Cooperative She made a down payment on two Ford E-Transit cars, which together cost about $128,500.
Transportation is an essential part of the cooperative's business, and he has provided this Manure collection services since 2010. Its fleet, which includes four other freight trucks and four box trucks as well as two new electric vehicles, makes the rounds in more than 60 Chicago-area communities each week to collect pre- and post-consumer food scraps and deliver them to commercial composters. Locations, mostly on the south side.
The new trucks were delivered in mid-November.
“From what I can see, shipping will be cheaper compared to gasoline,” says founding writer Erlene Howard. “Electric vehicles are cheaper to maintain,” she added.
A high-speed charger was installed in the company's work garage to power both trucks overnight. In recent cold weather, each truck travels about 80 miles per load, so Collective Resource uses them all over Evanston. (Trucks usually arrive Up to 126 miles per chargeaccording to Ford.)
“It is also in our plans to add solar to our garage roof during 2024,” Howard wrote. “When we get solar, it's going to be amazing!!”
Rebuilding the stock market It will also use a $25,000 Sustain Evanston grant to support the electrification of its vehicle fleet.
The $80,000 project includes the purchase of a Ford E-Transit freight van and the installation of a charging station outside the Hartrey Street facility. To help fund the rest, the organization plans to sell a gas-powered car. A new charger will power the truck, but Rebuilding Exchange also plans to make it available to the public for a fee.
“This is a truly exciting opportunity for us to advance our environmental mission to reduce construction waste and reuse building materials, as well as engage in broader initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” wrote Aina Gutierrez, the organization's executive director. “We have learned a lot about electric vehicles and are excited to share what we have learned with Evanston!”
Rebuilding Exchange works to keep materials out of landfills while training for construction trades. She will use the truck to pick up and deliver salvaged construction materials, Gutierrez said. The truck is scheduled to be installed by the end of January, and Rebuilding Exchange expects the truck to be delivered this summer.
With a grant of $6,576 Engraved, which operates a bakery on Central Street, installed two electric vehicle chargers and upgraded its electrical system. The new chargers are being used by employees while Hewn waits for a new electric truck to arrive. Deliveries are an important part of Hewn's business, which now includes a second location in Libertyville.
Once the electrical system was upgraded, Hewn also purchased a heavy-duty induction stove, which employees use when they have special baking to do during the holidays.
Hewn is known for its commitment to sustainability. The interior of the Central Street storefront was furnished in part with salvaged and reused materials, such as windows and lights, and co-owner and baking operations manager Ellen King works for the Evanston Environment Council. However, she said, “We could not have done this without the grant from the city.”
These three projects provide an important purpose for Evanston Climate Action and Resilience Plan – “Increase the use of zero-emission vehicles and equipment, and reduce the use of combustion engine vehicles and equipment” – and the related goal of modernizing electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Electric vehicle ownership is rapidly increasing both regionally and internationally. In Cook County, EV registrations jumped from 2,119 to 24,978 over a five-year period ending in December 2023. In Evanston, there were 1,135 EVs registered at the end of 2023, according to Sustainability and Resilience Director Kara Pratt. CARP update Jan. 8 for City Council.
For those considering the transition to electric vehicles, now is a good time to take advantage of financial incentives. the State of Illinois Offers rebates, credits and deductions on federal taxes from tax authority. You can estimate potential savings using a Rewire calculator america.
Small business and commercial real estate owners in Evanston, stay tuned for the next round of Support Evanston Financing will be announced soon. More grant money is available this year.
Climate monitoring is a series of articles and occasional articles about what climate change means for Evanston and what we're doing locally to make a difference.
that Previous article This series highlighted Belgian company Chocolatier Piron's installation of heat pumps and windows, also supported by the Sustain Evanston program.
