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Progress and goals for New York City's electric vehicle fleet
1:19:25
ยท
3 min
Council Member Restler and Deputy Commissioner Kerman discuss the current state and future goals of New York City's electric vehicle fleet. They review the progress made in increasing the number of electric vehicles and charging stations, as well as the challenges in meeting ambitious targets.
- Current fleet at 5,349 electric vehicles, aiming for 6,000 by end of year
- Goal to have fully electric fleet by 2038, requiring about 1,500 new electric vehicles per year
- Discussion of market limitations for certain vehicle types (e.g., plows, firefighting equipment)
Lincoln Restler
1:19:25
Now I am going to shift to the world of Deputy Commissioner Kerman and the fleet.
1:19:33
Thank you very much Assistant Commissioner Wagner.
1:19:35
The PMMR showed that the city was up to 5,349 electric vehicles in the city fleet, an increase of 161 vehicles over the first four months of the previous fiscal year.
1:19:48
Just about half as many new electric vehicles as were added in the first four months of twenty four, if I have that right.
1:19:54
When can we expect to meet the revised goal of 6,000 electric vehicles?
Keith Kerman
1:20:01
Hi councilmember, it's great to be here again with So we are going to be at 6,000 by the end of the year.
1:20:08
Okay.
1:20:08
So we have a lot of purchases that are actually coming in the fiscal year twenty five expense budget that are getting delivered now.
1:20:15
Great.
1:20:15
We've also moved some of our purchases including some of the pickups and vans are now capital eligible.
1:20:21
So that will take some relief off the expense budget which we know is always And we'll expect to see those mid year.
1:20:27
So we're going to hit 6,000 by the end of the year.
1:20:31
A little historic At end calendar year.
1:20:32
Okay.
1:20:34
For a little historical memory, when we started in 2015 when we announced the NYC Green Fleet Plan, we expected to be at 2,000 by the end of 2025 calendar year.
1:20:44
So we have moved this you know, much more than we ever thought we could.
Lincoln Restler
1:20:49
And just walk me through.
1:20:50
The goal is to have a fully electric fleet by 02/1938.
Keith Kerman
1:20:53
That is correct.
Lincoln Restler
1:20:54
How many new electric vehicles will we need to get there?
Keith Kerman
1:21:00
Well, you know, basic math, so you have about 25,000 on road vehicles.
1:21:05
Right?
1:21:06
So you would have to be doing about 2,500 a year to meet that.
1:21:11
A little less.
1:21:13
The twenty, thirty five goal is for light and medium and then there's a twenty, thirty eight goal for heavy and specialized.
1:21:19
So 25,000 on road divide by thirteen years, you're probably about 2,000.
Lincoln Restler
1:21:25
But 25,000 and we've done 6,000 already.
Keith Kerman
1:21:28
We've done 6,000.
Lincoln Restler
1:21:28
So we have 19 to go.
Keith Kerman
1:21:30
Correct.
1:21:31
Although, to be honest We'd
Lincoln Restler
1:21:32
like to shrink the fleet a little more.
Keith Kerman
1:21:33
Well, we always look for fleet reduction.
1:21:36
You also have some electric vehicles that have to be replaced.
1:21:39
Right?
Louis Molina
1:21:39
Sure.
Keith Kerman
1:21:39
You have electric vehicles that are twelve, thirteen years old.
Lincoln Restler
1:21:42
Separate and apart from replacement, I just mean to say we have a gap of 19,000 electric vehicles that we need roughly and we've got thirteen years to do it.
1:21:50
So we've got to do
Keith Kerman
1:21:51
Within that math, would be what?
1:21:53
About 800, nine hundred a year if I'm thinking through the No,
Lincoln Restler
1:21:56
19,000 vehicles thirteen years.
1:21:59
That means we've got 1,500 or so to do a Right?
1:22:01
Or give or take.
1:22:02
Sure.
Keith Kerman
1:22:03
You have limitations in the marketplace.
1:22:07
So, you know, we need to see advances on electric vehicles say in plowing, right.
1:22:13
We don't have plow vehicles now that are electric.
1:22:16
So, you know, that will be a limitation.
1:22:19
We're going to need to see advances in firefighting equipment, you know, real advances.
1:22:24
So there also are issues in the marketplace.
1:22:27
Not everything is ready to be electric yet.
Lincoln Restler
1:22:30
Fair.
1:22:31
But that being said, we'd still how many just to give us to help keep it simple for everybody, last fiscal year how many electric vehicles did we purchase?