Vehicle Purchases

Need to purchase a new or used vehicle for your department? Fleet Services is where you'll begin. We provide advice on buying the most basic sedans, custom upfitted trucks, and even heavy machinery. If it has a motor, we're happy to get you into something that will help you get your work done!

We offer two options for the buying process. Some departments have funds set aside to purchase a vehicle up front. We advise these customers on specifications and source the vehicle with assistance from our partners at UCSC Procurement. Don't have the money up front to replace a vehicle? Fleet Services can often purchase equipment for your department and lease-to-own the vehicle back to you at 0% interest. Payments are made monthly for a fixed term.

Regardless of how you plan to buy, please bear in mind that there are fees associated with University vehicle ownership. A sample budget for operating a University equipment is provided for your convenience here. A blank copy of our lease-to-own contract can be found here. All University vehicles begin their life with an initial safety inspection. During this process, we add the University identification, register the vehicle with the DMV, install fueling equipment, ensure everything you ordered arrived as specified, and perform a thorough safety inspection. Please also feel free to contact Risk Services and TAPS at the links below if you have questions about insuring and parking equipment that is new to the University or their current rates.

A discussion of Fleet rates and fees for University equipment is available in the Business Office section of this website. Ready to purchase? Contact our Fleet Services Customer Service Team at fleets@ucsc.edu or 9x2228.

UCSC is working to get off fossil fuels!

Part of our Decarbonization & Electrification Plan is to transition our fleet to Zero Emission Vehicles:

Our Fleet team will guide you in making your Zero Emission Vehicle purchase, where fueling infrastructure is available. Where fueling is not available, they can let you know about upcoming stations and any opportunities for new installations. If you’re considering purchasing an electric vehicle, view UCSC’s current Electric Vehicle Charging Locations.