It was late January when Sterling Heights city officials gathered to help cut the ribbon on a brand new 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV.

The ceremonial ribbon wasn’t unrolled to celebrate the opening of a new car dealership in town and the giant scissors weren’t gathered to celebrate your average sport utility vehicle. Black and shiny with its new car smell perhaps still intact, this particular Chevy Blazer was being celebrated as the latest electric vehicle added to the city’s municipal fleet. It comes as part of the Sterling Heights Electric Vehicle (EV) Fleet Pilot Program, a city-led initiative launched in the spring of 2024 that had previously added several EVs to the municipal fleet by way of light-duty trucks, an SUV, and a sedan.

But the 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV Police Pursuit Vehicle, as it’s officially called, is the type of car that garners a bit more fanfare than EVs previously introduced, and understandably so. Assigned to the command fleet and immediately placed on patrol, the electric vehicle proved fast enough to serve as a Police Pursuit Vehicle in a series of tests performed by the Michigan State Police, the only purpose-built EV police package tested as such for the 2025 model year.

It’s also a head-turner.
(Courtesy photo)The Sterling Heights Police Department debuted its 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV Police Pursuit Vehicle this past January.
“The public has already started taking notice,” Interim Police Chief Ken Pappas said at the time of its debut. “While our officer was driving the vehicle back from an upfitter, a civilian stopped them and commented on how ‘sharp’ the vehicle looked and was surprised that it was 100 percent electric.”

But take a step back from its sharp looks, and a powerful performance that might surprise even the most ardent of EV skeptics, and the late January ribbon-cutting represents something even bigger than an exciting new car. On Feb. 4, just a couple weeks after city leaders gathered to help cut the ribbon, City Council approved another monumental first for Sterling Heights: its first-ever Climate Action Plan.

No time like the present
“The Climate Action Plan positions Sterling Heights as a leader in sustainability,” says Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor.
The Sterling Heights Climate Action Plan was developed by City staff in partnership with the Fresh Coast Climate Solutions firm in Ann Arbor and informed by a series of community outreach efforts that involved residents in its creation. The city has launched several sustainability initiatives over these past several years, with many of them still operational, but it’s the proactive development and adoption of a Climate Action Plan that provides city leaders a roadmap to achieving their stated goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. That’s the same goal of Michigan’s MI Healthy Climate Plan, which represents a big win for the state, too, given Sterling Heights’ size and sway.

“The Climate Action Plan positions Sterling Heights as a leader in sustainability,” says Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor. “It's important we act now to ensure a cleaner, healthier and more resilient community for future generations.”

Of course, reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 is easier said than done. But the Climate Action Plan (CAP) was developed to provide city officials with actionable items that would lead them to their ultimate goal. It includes a total of 22 strategies to employ across five sectors, with some, like the EV Fleet pilot program, already well underway.

In the plan, each sector is accompanied by four or more strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across each category. In “Buildings,” strategies include reducing public sector energy consumption and increasing the use of renewable energy. In “Transportation,” strategies include reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the municipal fleet and improving the city’s walkability and bikeability. In “Waste,” strategies include reducing waste at municipal facilities and city-run community events. In “Natural Resources,” strategies include improving city-wide stormwater infrastructure and promoting the use of native plants. And in “Public Health,” strategies include supporting local food production and urban agriculture.

A copy of the Climate Action Plan is available online, which includes a complete breakdown of Sterling Heights’ 22 strategies for reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

"This plan reflects extensive community input and strategic planning," says Alexis Richards, Sterling Heights planner. "We are eager to implement these actions and see their positive impact on our city."
Native plants working toward sustainability goals on the butterfly flyway in Sterling Heights.
Several proposed strategies are already underway and many of them under the Think Sterling Green umbrella, the sustainability initiative launched in 2023 that has resulted in an ever-expanding tree canopy, smart water websites that serve to lower residents’ water bills, and more. And many programs directly address those strategies outlined in the CAP. To reduce waste, the city introduced universal curbside recycling last year. To improve the city’s bikeability, a bike lane pilot program was installed on Plumbrook Road. To support local food production and urban agriculture, a 100-bed community garden is currently under construction and should be ready for its planned grand opening celebration this May.

A Michigan winter

While reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions 25 years from now might seem abstract to some, some of the current initiatives are already providing more concrete numbers. An SHPD analysis of the EV Chevy Blazer, for instance, found that replacing their previous pursuit vehicle, a 2022 model powered by a more traditional internal combustion engine (ICE), would result in a 72 percent reduction in emissions by making the switch from gas to electric.

At the end of the year-long pilot program, city officials will analyze the data to determine whether introducing more EVs to the municipal fleet is a solid investment. And it’s not just greenhouse gas emissions that they’re monitoring, but factors like cost and efficiency data, too.

“We’ve asked City employees who drive the existing four EVs, and all have been praised for their technology, smooth drive and compact yet roomy design,” Department of Public Works director Mike Moore said when the SHPD EV was first unveiled.

“We are also starting to see comparable data for energy costs of EV vs. ICE vehicles, and early signs indicate we are experiencing a substantial cost savings per mile driven with the EV fleet. We will continue to rotate the EV vehicles throughout the City, collecting data and feedback following the EV fleet’s first Michigan winter.”