To advance its fleet electrification and emissions reduction goals, the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) has deployed six new XL plug-in hybrid-electric Ford F-150 pickup trucks to its fleet. 

The trucks were unveiled during a ceremony at the SWBNO Central Yard on January 28, which featured New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, as well as representatives from SWBNO and project partners including New Orleans Regional Planning Commission (RPC), Southeast Louisiana Clean Fuel Partnership, and XL Fleet.

The F-150 pickups have been equipped with the XLP plug-in hybrid electric drive system, which has been proven to substantially improve fuel economy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions – helping New Orleans reduce climate change impacts and improve air quality while saving taxpayer money from decreased fuel and vehicle maintenance costs, according to XL Fleet.  

The project was funded via the New Orleans RPC’s Clean Fuel Transition Fund for Public Fleets, managed by the Southeast Louisiana Clean Fuel Partnership. The fund was developed to help public fleets incorporate cleaner fuels and technologies into their operations.

"This is aligned with our climate action goals and the impact that we want to have in the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana in regards to this footprint. It's something that we have to remain focused on," said Mayor Cantrell. "We understand that we are a coastal city, and being a coastal city, we do have the challenges of sea-level rise and coastal land loss."