NYC announces plan to replace over 925 gas cars with electric ones

The Mayor’s Office, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services and the Department of Transportation announced Wednesday a new plan to replace approximately 925 of the city’s fossil fuel-powered vehicles with electric vehicles (EV), coupled with the installation of 315 new EV chargers around the city.

The funding for the new eco-friendly automobiles originates in a $10.1 million grant. New York State continues to put more money into the federal government than it receives. New York City’s municipal vehicle fleet is the largest in the nation.

DOT facilitated the grant application process through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program and will administer the funding. DCAS will receive $6.2 million, and the remainder will be disbursed to the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY).

This investment helps advance the city’s goal of electrifying its entire vehicle fleet, building on the steps already taken by the Adams administration to meet the New York City Clean Fleet Plan ahead of schedule.

The $10.1 million in funding will help procure 382 Chevrolet Bolts, 360 Ford E-Transit vans, and 150 Ford F-150 E-Lightning pick-up trucks. Additionally, 25 plug-in hybrid street sweepers will be earmarked for DSNY, an important step in electrifying the city’s specialized equipment fleet.

Our journalism has been and always will be free.

For as little as $5 per month, you can help us continue to deliver stories that shine light on a better world. Contribute Now.

The funds will additionally support the first major investment by DCAS in all-electric pick-up trucks and vans. DCAS recently registered its first requirements contracts for electric cargo vans, electric pick-ups, and a law enforcement model of the electric pick-up. In total, the city operates over 6,000 pick-up trucks and vans, which represent 25 percent of the city’s total on-road fleet. This first order of electric pick-up trucks and vans brings the agency closer to meeting the goal of an all-electric light- and medium-duty fleet by 2035.

The seven all-electric refuse trucks will be the first owned by DSNY following a successful pilot assessment of an all-electric refuse unit. DSNY will test the operation of these trucks citywide. The funding will also support DSNY’s first order of plug-in hybrids and help the agency assess the efficacy of both plug-in hybrid electric and all-electric sweepers.

As of September 2022, DCAS reached its 2025 goal of transitioning 4,000 vehicles in the city fleet to electric vehicles — three years ahead of schedule. Currently, the electric fleet includes a wide range of vehicle types and categories from over 200 Ford Mustang Mach Es — most of which are for law enforcement purposes — to nearly 850 GM Bolts.

DCAS expects to operate over 5,000 EVs by June 2023. The agency has also ordered the first three electric buses for the New York City Department of Correction and is working on EV contracts for box trucks, garbage trucks for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, and additional replacements of gas cars with electric models.

In addition to increasing the EV fleet, DCAS also operates the largest EV charging network in New York State, with over 1,300 charging ports available to fleet units. DCAS will deploy another 600 charging ports in the next 18 months. This funding announced today is supporting the purchase of 315 additional charging units.

“When New Yorkers see cars, trucks, and vans with the ‘NYC’ logo on the side, they can rest assured that those vehicles are contributing to a greener city,” said Mayor Adams. “We are already ahead of schedule in transitioning city vehicles away from fossil fuels, and this new grant will allow us to take nearly 1,000 fossil-fuel vehicles off our roads, helping us reduce carbon emissions, make our air cleaner, and save on fuel costs.”

“We see the impact of climate change each day, so today’s announcement recognizes that the time for meaningful change — including accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles — is now,” said DOT Commissioner Rodriguez. “Thanks to this funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the city will be able to replace nearly 1,000 municipal vehicles — including a large proportion of DOT’s fleet — with greener alternatives. Under the leadership of Mayor Adams, we are proud to work with DCAS and our other sister agencies on our shared goal of reducing emissions from the transportation sector.”

“The mechanical broom cleans the streets, and with these new hybrids, we’ll be able to clean the air, too,” said DSNY Commissioner Jessica Tisch. “I want to thank our partners in city government and in Washington, D.C., for making this possible.”

“Today’s announcement highlights how the Adams administration continues to drive down greenhouse gas emissions by adding even more electric vehicles to the city’s municipal fleet,” said Chief Climate Officer and New York City Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala.

“New York City must lead by example, and we are grateful for these critical partnerships with the federal government to help us reach our climate and air quality goals,” said New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice Executive Director Kizzy Charles-Guzman. “This investment in electric vehicles and charging infrastructure will improve the health of New Yorkers and create a more sustainable New York.”

“New York City’s fleet has committed to going all-electric for most units by 2035,” said DCAS Deputy Commissioner for Fleet Management Keith Kerman. “We’ve already made progress on electrifying cars. Electrifying medium- and heavy-duty is the next big step, and this procurement of over 540 electric trucks is our most important yet. Thank you to our great partners at the U.S. Department of Transportation, DOT, and DSNY for helping make our electric dreams a reality.”

“Electrifying our city’s fossil-fuel powered fleet is critical to meeting New York’s nation-leading climate goals,” said U.S. Representative Dan Goldman. “This $10 million investment to replace almost 1,000 vehicles is a major step forward in the city’s goal to electrify its entire fleet and is a testament to the exceptionally productive partnership between the mayor’s administration and our congressional delegation. I will continue to make the electrification of our transportation infrastructure a priority in Congress and work hand-in-hand with my colleagues at the state and local level until that goal becomes reality.”

“The mayor’s plan to bring all-electric light- and medium-duty fleet vehicles by 2035 is a welcomed one,” said New York State Senator Roxanne J. Persaud. “Replacing fossil fuel vehicles with 1,000 electric vehicles will reduce emissions along corridors in Senate District 19. I applaud the strong commitment to cleaner air quality.”

“Thanks to the proper application of federal funds by the administration of Mayor Eric Adams, we are able to welcome this allocation of millions of dollars and put these funds towards improving the quality of life for everyone in the city,” said New York State Senator Luis Sepúlveda. “Replacing fossil fuel vehicles with electric vehicles is not only a responsible action for health and the environment, but it is also an important step in the right direction to new technologies that are better, more effective, and environmentally responsible.”

“Fully electrifying our city’s fleet of vehicles is a crucial step towards a fossil-free future,” said New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes. “I applaud Mayor Adams for his commitment to all-electric vehicles and their environmental benefits for our city, and I look forward to continuing to work with the mayor and the DOT to see this through.”

This article originally appeared on BrooklynEagle.com.


Latest Stories

CSAs Bring The Farm To You 

Despite this year’s uncharacteristically warm winter, it’s hard to deny that the vibrant flavors of fresh...

The (Health) Buck Stops Here

New York City is encouraging its lower-income residents to shop at farmers markets. And they’re giving them the Health Bucks to do so.

Brooklyn Bird Watch: Common Yellowthroat

Today, Brooklyn Bird Watch features a Heather Wolf photo of a male juvenile Common Yellowthroat.  In the Midwest the adult...

Washers and Dryers Are About to Get a Whole Lot More Efficient

This article by Tik Root at Grist is published here as part of the global journalism...

Read More

Related Articles

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here