U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — Governor Albert Bryan Jr. is proud to announce the deployment of five fully outfitted, all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E patrol vehicles into the Virgin Islands Police Department fleet, marking a major milestone in the Territory’s transportation electrification efforts.
The five vehicles will be positioned across all three islands, with two in St. Croix, two in St. Thomas and one in St. John. The vehicles were purchased through a grant secured by the Virgin Islands Energy Office from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Energizing Insular Communities (EIC) Program, with vehicle procurement and the specialized upfitting process coordinated locally through Metro Motors. The vehicles were professionally outfitted by Dana Safety Supply, one of the nation’s largest providers of public-safety equipment and vehicle-upfitting services.
The government must lead, Governor Bryan said, likening his commitment to electrifying the transportation of the Territory’s emergency response personnel to efforts his Administration has made to improve healthcare services in the Territory. Noting that the government employees more than 1/3 of all working Virgin Islanders, Bryan said it was incumbent on policy makers to embrace innovative solutions and technologies that can improve efficiency and reduce the cost of delivering critical services. Police patrol vehicles are among the most highly utilized and operationally demanding vehicles in government service, making their electrification an important demonstration that electric mobility can extend well beyond traditional passenger vehicles.
“Modernizing government has been one of our priorities from day one, and that means using technology to improve how government operates, increase efficiency and make better use of taxpayer dollars,” Governor Bryan said. “Putting electric vehicles into active police service is another step in that direction and another example of government leading by example. It also advances our broader energy strategy. For too long, the Virgin Islands has been vulnerable to the cost of imported fuel. By expanding solar generation, battery storage, charging infrastructure, and electric transportation, we are steadily reducing that dependence. These five vehicles are a small but important part of building a more modern, efficient and energy-secure Virgin Islands.”
The deployment represents the first fully outfitted all-electric enforcement vehicles integrated into the Government of the Virgin Islands fleet
“The significance of this deployment goes far beyond five vehicles,” said VIEO Director Kyle Fleming. “Patrol vehicles are highly utilized, mission-critical assets. Bringing fully electric police units into active service demonstrates that the Virgin Islands is committed to leaving no vehicle class behind as we transition our transportation sector.”
Under the Bryan-Roach Administration, VIEO has secured and deployed federal funding supporting the procurement of more than 60 electric vehicles across the government fleet, including passenger vehicles, pickup trucks, transit vehicles and now active-duty law-enforcement units.
VIEO has also worked closely with Metro Motors to strengthen the local EV ecosystem, helping expand vehicle supply chains while investing in the Territory’s ability to service and repair increasingly sophisticated electric vehicles. Through a separate VIEO subgrant, Metro Motors is expanding local EV service and repair capabilities so that the growth of the electric fleet is supported by the technical expertise and infrastructure needed to maintain those vehicles on-island.
That preparation continued this week, when Metro Motors hosted a vehicle familiarization workshop for VIPD officers and mechanics ahead of deployment. The session provided personnel with hands-on familiarity with the Mach-E platform, its operation and key vehicle systems before the units enter active police service.
The milestone also reflects a journey that began early in the Bryan-Roach Administration. Governor Bryan’s initial gubernatorial campaign utilized an all-electric Nissan LEAF, providing an early and visible demonstration of electric mobility in the Territory. Today, that vision has expanded into a broader government fleet strategy supported by charging infrastructure, local service capacity, battery storage and renewable energy.
The Territory’s continued growth in solar energy under the Bryan-Roach Administration further strengthens the case for transportation electrification. As more electricity is produced locally from solar resources, electric vehicles create an opportunity to increasingly replace imported gasoline with energy generated within the Virgin Islands.
