Funding will add 275 electric vehicle chargers, replace 300 gas-powered City fleet vehicles, and retrofit diesel-powered trucks to run on electric
Mayor Bill de Blasio, the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), and the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Sustainability, today announced a $75 million investment in electric vehicles and electric vehicle charging infrastructure to support the City of New York’s vehicle fleet. The new investments will help the greenest municipal vehicle fleet in the country become even greener.
The investments include:
• 300 electric vehicles to replace fossil fuel-powered models
• 275 fast vehicle chargers
• 20 portable vehicle chargers
• 11 new solar charging carports
• 3 electric buses to replace diesel models
• 78 electric ambulances
• In addition, the City will retrofit 125 existing diesel-powered trucks to be electric-powered.
These and other investments are part of the City’s plan to transition its entire vehicle fleet to electric vehicles.
“Climate change is an existential threat facing our city, our nation, and our world,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “You can count on New York City to lead the way when it comes to finding sustainable climate solutions, fighting back against global warming, and building a greener future for the next generation.”
“The EV investment and infrastructure that we put in place today will become the foundation of a clean and reliable transportation system for the next generation of New Yorkers,” said Ben Furnas, Director of the NYC Mayor's Office of Climate and Sustainability. “Today's announcement is a key example of the City's commitment to end the age of fossil fuels, improve air quality and public health — especially in Environmental Justice communities most impacted by polluting tailpipe emissions — and tackle the urgency of the climate crisis before us.”
“The $75 million in investments announced today will help pave the way for ending the use of fossil fuels in the City of New York’s municipal vehicle fleet,” said Lisette Camilo, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services. “The time to act on climate change is now, and New York City is leading the way by transitioning to an all-electric vehicle fleet.”
“The City of New York operates the largest electric vehicle fleet and electric vehicle charging network in New York State,” said Keith Kerman, NYC Chief Fleet Officer and DCAS Deputy Commissioner. “And these efforts have only just begun. These critical new investments will enable convenient fast charging for fleets throughout the City and support the expansion of EV and adoption into our van and trucking fleets.”
“The City’s investments in electric vehicles and infrastructure is a step in the right direction, allowing us to further improve our transportation system and address the climate crisis,” said Senator Alessandra Biaggi. “New York must continue to serve as a national leader in combating the climate crisis by ending our dependence on fossil fuels and continuing to invest in green, renewable energy. By investing in renewable, sustainable alternatives, we are bettering our planet, our city, and our livelihoods.”
“The transition of our transportation sector to emission-free vehicles requires a substantial and sustained investment in access to charging equipment and grid capacity,” said Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz. “This step by the city to electrify more of the municipal vehicle fleet will undoubtedly push us in the right direction, and kudos to DCAS and the Mayor's Office for making this commitment.”
“The actions our City takes today will effect generations of New Yorkers to come,” said Assembly Member David Weprin. “That is why I am thrilled to lend my support to NYC’s investment in green transportation infrastructure. This investment will combat climate change and improve the quality of life in our City,” said Assemblyman David Weprin.
“The transportation sector accounts for approximately one third of our greenhouse emissions statewide,” said Assembly Member and Chair of the Assembly Energy Committee Michael Cusick. “Electrifying transportation is a vitally important step in reducing our emissions, improving our energy efficiency, and meeting our climate goals. In the State Assembly I have sponsored legislation geared toward making our state more electric vehicle friendly and we have passed this legislation through both houses of the legislature. I am thrilled to see that New York City is making such a solid investment in electrifying its fleet.”
“Electric vehicles are our future,” said Assembly Member Kenny Burgos. “With climate change being an existential threat, this new investment will only help our infrastructure, reduce air pollution, and create a more environmentally friendly city. I appreciate the Mayor's office and our city for leading the way to make our planet more sustainable.”
“It’s abundantly clear that we must do everything we can to reduce the use of fossil fuels, and it’s heartening to see so many New Yorkers embracing Electric Vehicles,” said Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon. “I’m glad that the City is providing the necessary support infrastructure to encourage the use of EVs, which incentivizes us all to do our part to reverse the climate change emergency we face.”
“As Chair of the New York City Council’s Environmental Committee, I am proud to continue supporting this initiative, which aims to make our city more eco-friendly,” said Council Member James F. Gennaro. “These types of investments bring us one step closer to the goal of the New York City Climate Protection Act – a bill I authored in 2008 to dramatically reduce greenhouse emissions. This $75 million investment in electric vehicles and electric vehicle charging infrastructure is sending an important message to New Yorkers—that making the switch to an electric vehicle has never been easier. I would like to thank Mayor de Blasio for his visionary leadership and all his hard work to make NYC greener.”
In 2019, DCAS launched an initiative to install 100 fast electric vehicle chargers across the five boroughs. Fast electric vehicle chargers can charge vehicles up to seven times faster than traditional chargers. To date, 90 of these fast chargers are in operation, and all 100 will be operational by the end of the year. Currently, eight fast chargers are also available for public use. (Guidelines for NYC Fleet Chargers Public Access) In the next two years, DCAS will add an additional 275 fast chargers at City agency sites to support fleet units and also the electrification of school buses at the NYC Department of Education. At least 20 of these charging locations will also be available for public use. Once completed, the City of New York will have one of the largest fast charging networks in the country.
The 20 portable chargers announced today can be moved from location to location, supporting flexible and emergency charging as the City of New York transitions the fleet to electric vehicles. Working with the NYC Department of Correction, DCAS introduced the City’s first mobile charger in 2019. DCAS will also add 11 solar carports, which will give the City 100 free-standing solar carports, the largest such project in the world. These carports, which are mobile, power electric vehicles solely using sunlight, are not tied to the electric grid, and are an important emergency resource in the case of power outages.
The 300 new electric vehicles announced today will replace at least 300 fossil fuel-powered light duty vehicles and vans. In addition, for the first time, the City will retrofit 125 existing diesel support trucks to convert them to electric power. The first converts will be box vans, rack trucks, small dump trucks, and other non-emergency units. This will enable the City to make progress on electric truck implementation as manufacturers continue to develop new electric truck models.
DCAS and the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Sustainability today attended the City’s 32nd Annual Fleet and Equipment Show, hosted by DCAS and NYC Parks Department at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Over 150 vendors displayed the latest in green and safe fleet technologies at the show. The non-profit Empire Clean Cities, which focuses on fleet sustainability, also hosts its annual stakeholder event at the show. Both of today’s events were part of the official Climate Week NYC programming. Immediately following the show, DCAS also participated in a virtual panel on Urban Charging Infrastructures at the 2021 Edition of IMPULSION MTL organized by Propulsion Québec. This international fleet forum is in its third year each supported annually by DCAS.
The City of New York’s municipal vehicle fleet includes 2,350 on-road electric vehicles and 796 off-road electric and solar units, and the entire fleet will become all-electric. To support this transition, the city currently has 1,061 electric vehicle charging ports to service its fleet. This network is the largest charging network in New York state and includes level-2 chargers, level-3 fast chargers, a mobile charger, and the nation’s largest network of 89 free-standing solar charging carports.
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