NAUPD F-150 Lightning
An electric pickup for NAU's new Police Aide position cut emissions 80% and total running costs 96.5% compared with the 2009 Ford Explorer it replaced.
- 80%Lower CO2 than the Explorer
- $6,659Saved per year vs. the Explorer
- $720Saved per year vs. a Maverick hybrid
- $33,063Green Fund cost
The project
The NAU Police Department created a full-time Police Aide position to take pressure off its officers. The aide first drove a repurposed 2009 Ford Explorer, which broke down soon after. NAUPD narrowed the replacement to a Ford Maverick hybrid or a Ford F-150 Lightning.
The Green Fund paid the difference so NAUPD could buy the Lightning, and also paid for a new EV charger that the department can use as it electrifies more of its fleet. The project was approved in December 2024.
Impact
I compared the Lightning’s first seven months of use (May to December 2025, 3,729.8 miles) with what the Explorer and the Maverick would have used over the same distance.
- Emissions. The Lightning’s grid charging produced 1,078 lbs of CO2. The Explorer would have produced about 5,157 lbs, so that’s an 80% cut.
- Energy cost. The Lightning used $142 of electricity. The Explorer would have burned $830.98 of gas and the Maverick $313.50.
| Vehicle | 7-month fuel or energy | Annual fuel or energy | Annual maintenance | Total annual cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 Ford Explorer | $830.98 | $1,424.54 | $5,477.92 | $6,902.46 |
| 2025 Ford Maverick | $313.50 | $537.43 | $426.00 | $963.43 |
| 2025 F-150 Lightning | $142.00 | $243.43 | $0 | $243.43 |
- Against the Explorer, the Lightning saves $6,659 a year, 96.5% of the total cost. Most of that is the Explorer’s $5,478 in maintenance in its last year.
- Against the Maverick, it saves $720 a year: $426 in routine engine service the hybrid needs and $294 in energy. Those savings are highest during the 3-year warranty. Over 12 years, average maintenance is $710 a year for the Lightning and $1,196 for the Maverick.
Beyond the numbers
The truck is quiet and has no tailpipe, which matters on a campus where people live and walk everywhere. It can also act as a mobile power source, so officers can run lights or equipment without a portable generator.
Methodology
Lightning. The EPA rates it at 320 miles on a 131 kWh battery, or 0.4094 kWh a mile, which is 1,526.89 kWh over the period. Cost uses NAU’s EnergyCAP average rate of $0.093/kWh. Emissions use the eGRID factor of 706.189 lbs CO2e/MWh.
Explorer and Maverick. Fuel use comes from EPA ratings (14 MPG and 37 MPG) at the EIA average of $3.11 a gallon for May to November 2025. Emissions use 8.78 kg CO2 per gallon.
Maintenance. The Explorer’s and the Lightning’s actual costs come from NAU Fleet Services. All Maverick figures and the 12-year averages come from CarEdge.
Annual figures scale the seven-month totals to twelve months.