Chargers are Powering City Government’s Fleet of 1,300 Electric Vehicles Across the Five Boroughs
The Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) today announced the installation of the City’s 500th electric vehicle charger and the completion of the first phase of solar-powered electric vehicle carports. The City’s 500 electric vehicle chargers are accessible at facilities operated by several City government agencies.
The solar-powered carports are installed at 37 locations and can fully charge electric vehicles without use of the City’s electric grid. The chargers and carports help power the City’s 1,300 electric vehicles. The use of the new solar carports will save the City 13,000 gallons of gasoline and yield up to 500,000 vehicle miles annually.
The 500th charger was today unveiled at the John F. Kennedy High School Campus, home to five Bronx high schools and one of the recently-completed solar carports. The announcement was made with students and staff from Bronx Theatre High School, one of the schools located at the Kennedy campus.
“New York City has the largest and greenest municipal vehicle fleet in the country,” said Lisette Camilo, Commissioner of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services. “With 500 electric vehicle chargers, we are powering a clean and modern vehicle fleet that is reducing City government’s carbon footprint. Our solar carports are taking it a step further by using nothing but sunshine to power many of our cars.”
The City’s 1,300 electric vehicles include City vehicles operated across 23 separate City government agencies. Under the NYC Clean Fleet plan announced by the de Blasio administration in December 2015, the City set a goal of 2,000 on-road electric vehicles by 2025. The City is well ahead of pace of this initial goal, with 1,300 electric vehicles procured so far and hundreds more on the way.
The carport at the John F. Kennedy High School Campus will power a City fleet electric sedan that is used for drivers’ education. As part of the extensive partnership between DCAS and the NYC Department of Education, electric vehicles at six schools are used for drivers’ education. Additional school campuses include South Richmond High School, Automotive High School, Thomas Edison High School, Brooklyn South Community High School, and George Washington High School.
“Over the past three years, our schools have greatly expanded environmental initiatives, including our Zero-waste program and the installation of solar panels, and with this solar carport, the John F. Kennedy High School campus has taken another big step in the right direction, said Elizabeth Rose, NYC Department of Education Deputy Chancellor. “This initiative is one more way in which we are making our school district one of the most sustainable in the country.”
The City’s 500 fleet chargers now include 37 portable solar carports, the largest such initiative in the nation. The first solar carport was installed at the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building in September 2015. These solar carports are free-standing and do not plug into the electric grid. Each carport can power two to three electric vehicles daily depending on use.
“In the last five years, we have seen dramatic growth in electric vehicle models for sedans,” said Keith Kerman, NYC Chief Fleet Officer. “We expect this to expand to SUVs, vans, pickups, and trucks in the next five years. Growing our charging network will be critical to supporting this electric fleet of the future.”
“With the largest fleet of municipal vehicles in the United States, New York City must take the national lead in reducing our carbon footprint,” said Fernando Cabrera, Chair of the New York City Council Committee on Governmental Operations. “As the chair of the NYC Council Committee on Governmental Operations and a Bronx resident, I’m proud to see the installation of the 500th electric vehicle charger and completion of the City’s installation of solar-powered carports at the John F. Kennedy High School campus in the Bronx. By incorporating an electric vehicle into the school’s driver education program, we are also equipping our students with the knowledge, awareness and understanding of green technology and the importance of protecting the environment. I commend Commissioner Camilo and the Department of Citywide Administrative Services for reaching this milestone.”
“When New York City steps up to lead, the rest of the world takes notice,” said Costa Constantinides, Chair of the New York City Council Committee on Environmental Protection. “Over 20% of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions come from cars, trucks, and buses, so when we as a City show that electric vehicles are a solution for both the public and private sector, that creates a model for everyone to emulate. With forward-thinking initiatives like this, New York City will be that much closer to achieving our 80×50 goal.”
