Government Purchases 23 New Teslas For $1.35 Million, the Largest Procurement of Electric Vehicles in GVI History

The government of the Virgin Islands through the V.I. Energy Office has purchased twenty-three new Tesla electric vehicles, with the Energy Office stating that the $1.35 million procurement, or just under $60,000 for each vehicle, will provide the government with significant savings.

The vehicles were purchased with $2 million in grant funding sought by the Energy Office and the V.I. Water and Power Authority from the U.S. Dept. of Interior's Energizing Insular Communities fund. The Energy Office said the 23 base-level Tesla Model Ys and Model 3s will join the government fleet and begin navigating the roads across the territory. The vehicles will be positioned across multiple agencies, with 15 vehicles assigned to the central government and 8 joining the WAPA fleet.

"As a result of this procurement, the Virgin Islands Energy Office will possess the first exclusively electrified fleet within the GVI," stated the release. "The VIEO intends to utilize the electrified fleet to demonstrate the viability of fully EV fleets within the territory through a wide variety of educational campaigns."

Kyle Fleming, director of the V.I. Energy Office and chairman of the V.I. Water and Power Authority board, told the Consortium Monday that aside from the $1.35 million to buy the Tesla EVs, the remaining funding is being used to build charging stations, with 10 already in the territory and a rapid rollout ongoing with 100 expected by the end of 2022.

He said supply-chain limitations contributed to the Tesla purchases, with mainland U.S. cities making similar decisions.