Residents ofNew York Cityshould prepare for an electric car invasion after the city decided to add 70 electric vehicles to its fleet.
The make-up of the electric vehicle fleet includes 50 new Chevrolet Volts, 10 Ford Transit Connect cargo vans and 10 Navistar E-star utility trucks. The state already has the largest municipal electric vehicle fleet in the country with that number now totalling 430 electric vehicles. The range extended Chevrolet Volt will become the first electric car to be used by the New York Police Department.
In a further commitment to electric vehicles, the administration is working towards the use of the cars in the City’s fleet of more than 13,000 yellow taxis. Nissan is currently working with the city and taxi owners on a pilot programme to study the use of electric cars as taxis and will provide six Nissan LEAF vehicles to taxi owners for testing in 2012.
Meanwhile, the city is also attempting to provide New Yorkers with more information about electric vehicles. According to a recent survey by McKinsey & Company, there is a lack of consumer information and a lack of educational resources about the vehicles with only 30 per cent of New Yorkers knowledgeable about their benefits and limitations.
An information site – Drive Electric NYC – has been launched to provide users with the primary facts about electric cars. It also includes a map of public charging stations in the city; a cost calculator link; and it describes how electric cars work in everyday use.
