New York City plans to replace 925 fossil fuel-powered city vehicles with electric vehicles using 10.1 million US dollars in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’sCongestion, Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, writes an article from the platform Smart Cities Dive. The funds will also be used to install 315 new EV charging ports to the city’s network, which currently numbers 1,360, with 120 fast chargers and 106 free-standing solar carports.
The EV fleet in New York City had reached 4,000 in September 2022, ahead of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services’ 2025 goal. The new vehicles will replace older, fossil fuel-powered vehicles in the fleet, including EV pickup trucks and vans, according to the article. New York also plans to replace 25 city street sweepers with plug-in hybrid vehicles, according to a government statement.
“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,” commented New York City Mayor Eric Adams in the statement.
The Congestion, Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program provides funding for transportation projects designed to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality. em