Mayor Michael Bloomberg is moving forward with his vision to create a greener New York.
Bloomberg, along with Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith and Department of Citywide Administrative Services Commissioner Edna Wells Handy, announced the addition of 70 new electric vehicles to the city’s fleet and launched new plans to provide New Yorkers with information about electric vehicles.
The announcement was made at a Department of Sanitation’s central repair shop on 58th Street in Maspeth.
“This is the latest and largest-ever addition of electric vehicles to the city’s fleet, which is already the largest municipal clean-air vehicle fleet in the nation,” Bloomberg said. “We will continue to lead by example, but we also must provide New Yorkers with tools to make environmentally friendly choices in their own lives.”
The city already boasts the largest municipal electric fleet in America, with the 70 new cars boosting the total to 430 electric vehicles.
The new electric cars will be used by a variety of city groups including the NYPD, FDNY and the Taxi and Limousine Commission. The Chevy Volt is set to become the first electric car used by the NYPD.
Deputy Mayor Goldsmith said that the increased use of electric vehicles would be beneficial to the city’s environment.
“Using electric vehicles reduces air pollution carbon emissions while also lowering gasoline consumption—a fact that will translate into significant life-cycle savings per vehicle for the city,” Deputy Mayor Goldsmith said.
A driving factor for the city is that it hopes to get information about these type of cars out to more people.
According to a survey by McKinsey & Company, only 30 percent of New Yorkers know the specific positives and limitations about electric vehicles. The study also showed 21 percent of consumers were more likely to purchase an electric vehicle after education.
The City’s electric vehicle website, Drive Electric NYC, aims to give users an online resource for information regarding electric cars. The website, which is available at nyc.gov, has information on electric cars, including how they work and how they are unique. It also has a cost calculator, which helps a potential owner compare the cost difference between a electric car and a conventional car.
Bloomberg says that he hopes the electric vehicles will play a role in achieving the goals in PlaNYC, a plan the Mayor put together in 2007, which aims to make the city more environmentally friendly.
“Our job is to make sure the public has the facts, ensure they can make their own decisions and ensure that if they want to drive an electric vehicle. We are providing the infrastructure needed,” Mayor Bloomberg said. “It’s all part of our PlaNYC agenda to create a greener, greater New York City.”
The electric vehicle program was possible due to partnerships and funding from the New York State Power Authority, U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Energy.
