New York City government has announced plans on January 4 to replace about 925 city-owned ICE vehicles with electric ones, as reported by E&I. The Metropolis will also deploy 315 EV chargers throughout the city under the $10.1 million US Transportation Department grant.
“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. 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.”
Mayor Eric Adams
Purpose of the $10.1 million fund
The City and State have been working to reduce emissions from local and regional causes, which has improved the air quality in New York City in recent decades. Air pollution, however, continues to pose the greatest hazard to human health in the environment, notwithstanding recent progress.
That said, the significant fund will aid New York in purchasing the following: 25 plug-in hybrid street sweepers, 382 Chevrolet Bolt EVs, 360 Ford E-Transit vans, and 150 Ford F-150 E-Lightning pickup trucks.
“Thanks to this investment from the Biden Administration, the city is poised to make huge progress on making our fleet more climate friendly. Our agencies rely on these vehicles to complete vital operations within the five boroughs, and this funding helps us decarbonise some of the hardest vehicles: heavy-duty trucks. From cleaning the streets to getting our air cleaner, the trucks move us in the right direction.”
Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi
New York’s EV fleet
New York City’s more than 6,000 pickup trucks and vans already account for 25% of its entire on-road fleet. Notably, these initial e-van and e-truck orders boosted the city’s 2025 target of all-electric light- and medium-duty fleet.
Considering that number, NYC has already hit its goal of replacing 4,000 ICE fleet units in 2025. That said, the city is already ahead of schedule.
As announced, New York City purchased another 925 electric vehicles for its government fleet.
Notably, New York’s Sanitation Department will receive the seven all-electric refuse trucks it successfully tested.
Charging Network
More than 1,300 charging outlets are accessible to fleet units as part of the city’s ongoing effort to develop its EV charging network. Over the next 18 months, New York City will install another 600 charging ports.
“The climate crisis is on our doorsteps, and discrete projects such as this are critical towards our ultimate goal of preventing the worst impacts from climate change. Municipal vehicle fleets are a great way to expand electric vehicle usage and leverage the magnitude of our city to motivate the electric vehicle industry and drive prices down for consumers. I look forward to continued progress on our city and state climate goals.”
New York State Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz
National efforts
President Joe Biden signed an executive order in December 2021 requiring the federal government to stop buying gas-powered cars by 2035. Additionally, according to Biden’s order, all light-duty federal purchases must be made by EVs or plug-in hybrid EVs by 2027.
New York’s full adoption of the electric vehicle fleet has advanced. However, more needs to be done, especially on its charging network and lengthy pilot programs, among others.
