There are about to be a lot more Teslas on the streets of Baltimore.
As local outlet Baltimore Fishbowl reports, city officials recently voted to spend up to $5 million to purchase Tesla Model Y and Model 3 vehicles for use by city employees.
This order follows previous initiatives to convert the city's vehicle fleet, like with electric school buses, as Electrek notes.
But this is the first time that Baltimore has ordered from Tesla. The Elon Musk-led electric vehicle brand beat a competing bid from Waldorf Ford that offered up Mustang Mach-E SUVs that didn't meet the city's terms.
Similar to consumers making the switch to EVs, it's easy to see the appeal for municipalities to shift away from gas-powered vehicles.
EVs save money on gas, significantly reduce air pollution, and have lower maintenance and repair costs. For consumers, there is up to $7,500 available in tax credits.
Tesla, in particular, has the industry-leading Supercharger network (as noted by J.D. Power) and the lowest maintenance costs.
Baltimore's Tesla order follows similar moves, such as South Pasadena becoming the first city to overhaul its police patrol fleet. These moves are occurring globally, too. Recently, the province of Jiangsu became the first Chinese region to add Tesla to its fleet options, CNN reports.
The $5 million spend means the city will purchase around 150 Teslas, as Baltimore Fishbowl noted.
For municipalities and companies, buying from Tesla comes with some controversy. In Germany, the drugstore chain Rossmann recently stopped buying from Tesla due to Elon Musk's endorsement of U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, Reuters reveals.
As Reuters reports, Musk has asked critics: "Whether you hate me, like me or are indifferent, do you want the best car, or do you not want the best car?"
For Baltimore, the decision simply came down to the best bid. In an email to Baltimore Fishbowl, Department of General Services spokesperson John Riggin said: "The Mayor set a goal of carbon neutrality by 2045. To get there, we need to start the transition today."
Commenters online offered mixed views of Baltimore's move.
"People will say what they will about their CEO, but I really do think the Model 3 and Model Y are great cars," one person said on Electrek.
On Baltimore Fishbowl, one commenter described it as a "bad look," while another wondered why the city didn't look elsewhere for EVs, with "plenty to choose from."
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
