Bloomfield buys into the future with electric cars

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Bloomfield has purchased four Chevrolet Bolt automobiles, which will be used by construction code and water meter inspectors. Fully charged, the Bolts have a 300-mile range. There are two public charging stations in the Town Hall parking lot, with six more planned for the township, three of which will be located at the Glenwood garage.

Township Administrator Matthew Watkins said Bloomfield was acting aggressively to reduce its carbon footprint. He noted that an inspector’s work requires considerable stop-and-go travel. He figures the cars will need to be charged once a week.

“We’re ahead of everyone else, but we’re taking this one step at a time,” he said. “Right now, it’s a changing dynamic. It seems, every month, a new vehicle is coming out. We’re not going to blaze a trail. We’ll see how these cars work for us. This was two years in the making, and this is our first step.”

According to a spokesperson for the finance department, the Bolts cost $32,190 each. Three of the cars were purchased with funds from the operating budget and one with funds from the water department budget. The state does not require all-electric cars to be inspected.

  Chevrolet Bolt, Matthew Watkins