MORNING SENTINEL • May 4, 2021
Electric cars have arrived at the Oakland Police Department at no initial charge to the town’s taxpayers thanks to a program with Efficiency Maine. Two 2022 Hyundai Kona EV’s will be used as administrative vehicles assigned to Oakland Police Department Chief Mike Tracy and Deputy Chief Rick Stubbert for the next three years. The department will analyze cost of ownership, dependability and performance. To pay for car purchases, Efficiency Maine provided rebates to 24 governmental entities around the state including municipalities, school districts and the Cumberland Police Department. Funds for the $5.1 million worth of rebates came from Maine’s settlement in a 2018 multibillion-dollar lawsuit against Volkswagen vehicles.