UMass Dartmouth has committed to buying two electric vehicles by 2021 after joining a collaborative of nearly a dozen universities and colleges pledging to purchase sustainable vehicles, the institution announced in a Sept. 30 press release.

The university was among the first group of higher education institutions to join the national Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative, which has committed to purchasing almost 3,800 EVs.

Electric vehicle fleet commitments made through the collaborative will save nearly 28 million tons of CO2 emissions annually, avoid 1.7 million gallons of gas per year, and represent a total of $123.5 million investment in EVs, according to the release.

UMass Dartmouth’s partnership with the collaborative will help the university cut greenhouse gas emissions, improve public health outcomes linked to poor air quality, and reduce the nation’s dependence on oil through transportation electrification, the release stated.

“UMass Dartmouth is excited to be a part of the EV Purchasing Collaborative,” said William Mitchell, Jr., Assistant Director of Campus Services at UMass Dartmouth. “Our university is committed to our sustainability goals and EVs are an important part of the future. We encourage fellow schools to join us on the path to electrification.”

“Universities and colleges help develop the future leaders of tomorrow. They are always at the forefront of creating ambitious climate and sustainability goals; it only makes sense that they become a part of the Collaborative and the transportation electrification future,” said Ben Prochazka, National Director of the nonprofit Electrification Coalition.

Launched in September 2018, the collaborative is a partnership between the Climate Mayors network, the Electrification Coalition, and public contracting agency Sourcewell.

In committing to purchase electric vehicles as a part of the collaborative, public agencies, colleges, and universities gain access to competitively solicited EVs and charging infrastructure, as well as innovative leasing options that allow fleets to reduce EV costs by accessing federal tax credits. The collaborative also provides support with technical analysis and best practices for fleet electrification as fleets consider switching to electric.