The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), which includes the Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County, is adding electric construction machines from Volvo CE to their fleet as part of their ambitious sustainability action plan.
“Our teams are excited about these machines because of our strong focus on reducing our carbon footprint,” said Andrew Phillips, division chief, Facility Services, Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County. “We believe in leading by example and our mission is to preserve, enhance and protect natural spaces, so these machines will really help us with those efforts.”
Prince George’s County, with a population of around 1 million people, borders D.C. on the east and has more than 28,000 acres of recreational areas and hundreds of miles of trails.
A major focus for the parks department this year is to improve ballparks, playgrounds and trails—and their new L25 Electric compact wheel loader and ECR25 Electric compact excavator are already on the job.
“We’re using the loader for moving mulch and soil on those projects, and even in our own lot we use it for snow removal and mowing,” said Phillips. “These machines will also be great for indoor jobs in office buildings, in higher density areas and where wildlife lives because of how quiet they are.”
Government fleets are among the most eager early adopters of electric construction equipment as they seek solutions to support sustainability initiatives and meet demands from the public and elected officials.
“M-NCPPC was the first government agency in North America to purchase one of our electric machines, and then quickly added a second to their fleet. We’re happy to support their goals to reduce emissions for the people who live, work and play in their communities,” said Stephen Roy, president of Region North America, Volvo CE.
Phillips says M-NCPPC follows the three pillars of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA): health and wellness, equity, and conservation. The state of Maryland is also working on some noise and emissions ordinances they will need to follow.
Source: Volvo CE
