The city of Phoenix won the Top Green Fleet Award for 2023 from the National Association of Fleet Administrators.

The annual Green Fleet Awards honor both commercial and government organizations that make a positive impact on the environment with their groundbreaking green initiatives, a press release explains.

“Earning the Top Green Fleet of 2023 award is a testament to our city's commitment to sustainability and innovation, and Phoenix is honored to be named a leader among leaders,” Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego shared in a statement.

The fleet services division of the public works department manages a fleet of electric vehicles and vehicles that use alternative fuels, including E-54 ethanol, biodiesel, CNG (compressed natural gas), and has recently added renewable natural gas. The city's public transit department converts LNG (liquefied natural gas) into CNG for use in city buses.

“We are always looking for new ways to make our fleet greener, even before we purchase new vehicles,” Fleet Control Manager Michael Bauer stated. “Our acquisition process focuses on buying alternative fuel vehicles or equipment first, when feasible. This helps us minimize fleet emissions by reducing the use of petroleum fuel as much as possible.”

The city has two employee motor pools, each with dedicated electric vehicle parking and chargers for the EV fleet. Recently Public Works hired an Operations Analyst to focus on the best ways to expand the green fleet while researching future alternative energy sources.

Phoenix also works to determine how many EV charging stations can be installed at certain sites, along with the associated costs of installation.

Phoenix was named Top Green Fleet among a field of government and commercial fleet applicants from all over North America.