Pete HahnloserNew York City and its partners have secured $56.3 million in grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2024 Clean Heavy Duty Vehicles Program to replace older vehicles with greener alternatives. Of this funding, the city’s Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) received $17.3 million to replace 55 diesel trucks with electric vehicles (EVs), install 10 new fast chargers across the city and boost EV training for city mechanics.
These fast chargers will be added to support the Department of Transportation’s electric vehicles across the city, further expanding DCAS’s extensive charging network — the largest in the state, with more than 2,100 chargers. Currently, 76% of the city’s fleet of 21,000 vehicles runs on sustainable alternative fuels, such as electric, hybrid electric, solar and biofuels.
“Our school system isn’t only educating tomorrow’s sustainability leaders — we’re also working hard to make our city a greener place for the next generation,” New York City Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos said. “Thanks to this grant, as our students learn about climate action in school, they can know that the transportation they take to school is also working to support our planet and city. We’re grateful to our partners at the EPA for helping us to make this work possible.”
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“Electric vehicles are the way of the future; they’re cleaner, produce zero emissions, and, with over 5,400 already in our fleet, we’re showing our commitment on the streets of the city,” DCAS Commissioner Louis A. Molina said. “Thanks to this $17 million grant from the EPA, we’re not just bolstering the greenest fleet in the nation, we’re also investing in the physical infrastructure and the knowledge base needed to maintain it.”
The replacement initiative will transition various diesel-powered vehicles to zero-emission models, including:
- Delivery trucks used to supply hot meals and materials to correctional facilities.
- Refuse collection vehicles and street sweepers responsible for managing 24 million pounds of recyclables, waste and compostable materials annually across New York City.
- Trucks used for roadwork, including rack trucks that transport road repair and traffic control equipment, and attenuator trucks that enhance worker safety in construction zones.
- Specialized utility vehicles, such as those used for maintaining the city’s water and sewer systems, including 7,000 miles of water mains, 7,500 miles of sewer lines, and thousands of catch basins essential for managing drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater.
In addition to acquiring 55 new heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles, DCAS will invest in workforce development and training to ensure proper maintenance, charging, fueling and operation of these vehicles. This will include training for drivers, mechanics and other staff to maintain and operate new technologies, as well as electricians to install EV supply equipment.
Additionally, with the city’s backing, the New York City School Bus Umbrella Services Inc. obtained $39 million to acquire 133 electric school buses.
