Portsmouth adds electric truck to city fleet

Portsmouth has begun using its first zero-gasoline truck, an electric vehicle that replaces an outdated parking enforcement van as part of the city’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Miles ZX40ST Work Truck requires no gasoline, has an estimated range of 50 miles and operates at a maximum speed of 25 mph. Charging the vehicle from 50 percent battery capacity takes approximately four hours from a 110-volt receptacle. The vehicle is also equipped with a regenerative braking system to recharge batteries while the vehicle is in use.

Parking manager Jon Frederick said the city began using the “very quiet” truck on Monday. He said he expects to see more of the city’s vehicles converted to environmentally friendly ones when they need to be replaced like the 20-year-old former van. “As gas prices go up, it kind of forces our hand to look that way,” he said.

The cost to drive and maintain the $18,335 truck will be approximately one-tenth that of a gasoline-powered vehicle, said city manager John Bohenko.

“This purchase is one more step in the city of Portsmouth’s efforts to become a more sustainable community and it will save our citizens money,” Bohenko said in a press release. He said the initiative is part of the Cities for Climate Protection campaign that Portsmouth signed two years ago, pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The electric truck will be garaged at the High Hanover Parking Facility and joins an electric cart used for security and maintenance inside the parking garage. Portsmouth also has a pilot diesel program underway for its other vehicles.

stopping invasive plants before they invade

Authorities in New Hampshire are working to prevent pepperweed from spreading north into the Seacoast, where it could threaten the coastal ecosystem. Pepperweed is an aggressive, non-native plant species that has spread through the islands of Boston Harbor and into Newburyport, Mass. If the invasive plant continues to proliferate, it could overtake native flora and ruin important wildlife habitat.

The New Hampshire Coastal Program at the N.H. Department of Environmental Services has partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to prevent pepperweed infestations. Already, staff and volunteers have identified and removed patches of the perennial plant at Odiorne State Park in Rye and at the Hampton Transfer Station. Seacoast residents are asked to be on the lookout for pepperweed so that other isolated populations can be pulled.

“Unlike programs that address invasive populations once they have become a problem, this initiative is proactive in the fight against the habitat destruction that could result due to this invasive plant. Hopefully this will allow us to catch pepperweed before it becomes a problem,” pepperweed patrol coordinator Catherine Foley said in a press release.

Mature pepperweed plants can reach a height of four feet and have smooth, fleshy stems. They flower in July, producing small, white flowers in dense clusters that turn brown and whither in early August. In the fall, they have dry, brittle clusters at the end of dry stalks.

Pepperweed populations form dense stands that out-compete native plant species and create poor habitat for birds and mammals. They are also an agricultural nuisance that has long caused problems in the western United States. For more information, go to www.des.nh.gov/factsheets/cp/cp-22.html. Report sightings to the N.H. Coastal Program at 603-559-1500 or send an email to This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it