Nearly 1K NYC government vehicles becoming all-electric — including NYPD patrol cars
NEW YORK January 11th, 2023 New York City’s municipal car fleet is about to go greener.
More than 900 gas guzzlers in the fleet — including some police cars — will soon be replaced with zero-emissions electric vehicles, Mayor Adams announced Wednesday.
The purchase of the 925 new electric vehicles is being funded by a $10.1 million grant awarded by the federal government’s Department of Transportation.
The purchase of the 925 new electric vehicles is being bankrolled by a $10.1 million grant awarded by the federal government’s Department of Transportation, Adams told reporters at a press conference in Brooklyn, where he and other city officials showcased some of the new climate-friendly wheels.
“Electric vehicles, they are clearly the future,” Adams said, adding that the grant will also allow his administration to install 315 new electric vehicle charging station across the city.
The mayor characterized the electric vehicle expansion as a part of his administration’s fight against climate change, vowing that the investment will “contribute to a greener city.”
“It’s clear that our environment is changing and our contribution to the destruction of our environment is real,” he said.
The new vehicles add to the 4,057 all-electric cars already in the city government’s fleet. That’s a relatively small share of the fleet’s more than 30,000 vehicles in total.
But Adams said his administration has already surpassed its 2025 goal for electrifying the fleet, and stressed that the new vehicles are replacing existing fossil fuel-powered cars as opposed to being added on top of them.
“Is this adding on to our fleet? No, it is not,” he said. “I committed to decreasing our fleet size and we are continuing to do that.”
Dawn Pinnock, Adams’ commissioner of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, said some of the new electric vehicles will replace gas-fueled NYPD patrol cars, though she was not able to provide an exact number.
Other agencies that will benefit from the new rides include the Department of Sanitation, which will receive seven all-electric garbage trucks and 25 all-electric street sweepers, officials said.
One municipal entity that will continue to drive gas-fueled cars, though, is Adams’ security detail.
Adams said he’d be okay with his detail going all-electric, but that he’ll ultimately leave that up to the NYPD, which is in charge of his security.
“I’m open,” he said. “I’m so low maintenance.”
New York Daily News
