EASTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) – The City of Easthampton is looking to make progress with their plan to hit net zero in carbon emissions by 2040.

Mayor Nicole LaChapelle will be the first mayor in the U.S. to offer an employee benefit for electric vehicle adoption and eventually transition all city-owned vehicles to EVs. LaChapelle and the City of Easthampton have partnered with MoveEV, an AI-powered green technology solution that aims to make electric vehicle adoption practical and affordable for municipalities and municipal employees.

“Move EV will be the driver of connecting residents and employees and the city with the appropriate electrical vehicles as well as the infrastructure. So as we build our climate plan, we can make immediate progress on the carbon footprint in the city,” said Mayor LaChapelle.

The mayor told 22News that the she’s excited for the day that every car parked in the City Hall’s parking lot is an electric vehicle. This partnership is seen as significant for the city as it strives to achieve its comprehensive Climate Action Plan, which targets net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.

For MoveEV, they see this as a win-win as Easthampton’s city-owned vehicle fleet will save roughly $360,000 annually on gas and eliminate 600 metric tons of carbon dioxide in the next five to ten years.

“Tail pipe emissions are real and can be prevented and specifically with Easthampton I love the idea that we’re tackling their own municipal assets but at the same time bringing their own municipal employees along for the ride so that they can benefit from our expertise,” said Dave Lewis, CEO of MoveEV.

An Earth Day event will mark the beginning of Easthampton’s 100 percent electric vehicle transition.