To hasten the shift to a municipal vehicle fleet that is all-electric, New York City is going to invest a sum of $420 million in the sectors of electric vehicles, alternative fuels, and charging infrastructure. The increased investments, which are the largest ever undertaken in the electrification of any public vehicle fleet, will assist the city in achieving a fleet that is all-electric by the year 2035, 5 years earlier than the previous objective of 2040.

By the year 2035, all medium-duty, light-duty, and non-emergency heavy-duty automobiles will be electric. This includes the country’s most ambitious fleet electrification target, as well as early limits for passenger automobiles and light trucks that must be electrified by 2030. New York City has the country’s largest municipal fleet, with almost 30,000 cars.

The New York City DCAS (Department of Citywide Administrative Services) is going to make the following expenditures to help with the transition to an all-electric fleet:

• Begin a centralized vehicle replacement plan for the City’s gas-powered vehicles, with at least 1,250 cars in place by 2022. Many of these vehicles will be supplied by DCAS, which is in the midst of negotiating a deal with a M/WBE (Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise) vendor.
• By 2030, all five boroughs will have a minimum of 1,776 fast electric car chargers. A minimum of 100 of the overall 1,776 fast chargers will be open to the public, according to DCAS. Last month, DCAS finalized its 100th fast charger, with 11 of them open to the general populace, and is now working on another 275.
• Install 180 solar carports as well as portable mobile electric car chargers. As the City of New York switches its fleet to electric vehicles, these portable chargers as well as solar carports can easily be moved from site to location, allowing for flexible and emergency charging. Solar carports may completely power vehicles without the use of electricity. In the case of a power outage, both technologies can act as a backup power source for electric vehicles.
• Increase the utilization of other alternative fuels, such as renewable diesel, which is a petroleum-free alternative to regular diesel fuel that is 99 percent efficient. Renewable diesel is manufactured from domestic waste products, reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 60%, and emits fewer tailpipe emissions than the fossil fuel. It’s also built to the same specifications as ordinary diesel, allowing for seamless usage by the City’s fleet and storage in the city’s fuel tanks. Until the electric car units are available, renewable diesel is going to be utilized in the truck fleet.
• By June 30, 2023, all vehicles used by top city officials will be entirely electric. To end the unnecessary usage of SUVs in municipal government, DCAS as well as the NYC Mayor’s OMB (Office of Management and Budget) are going to perform an evaluation of the suitability of every SUV used by the city.

Bill de Blasio, Mayor of NYC inked Executive Order 90 to formalize the changeover. DCAS will receive additional staffing and financing to assist and maintain the electric car charging network as a result of the Order. If adequate replacement models are yet to be available on the market, only specialist emergency trucks, such as fire engines, are going to be allowed to keep the original 2040 goal date for electrification. These funds will be added to the $75 million in an electric car and charging infrastructure initiatives announced in September 2021.