September 21, 2023

New all-electric Ford Lightning pickups mark significant milestone in expansion of City’s electric fleet and response to global climate change

NEW YORK - New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Dawn M. Pinnock and NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue today announced the addition of 86 new all-electric pickup trucks to Parks’ fleet in celebration of Climate Week.

“Our commitment to electrifying our City’s fleet is unwavering, and we will continue to invest in this critical work every opportunity we can," said NYC DCAS Commissioner Dawn M. Pinnock. "The sooner we transition to an all-electric fleet, the sooner we make our city greener, more efficient, and more sustainable. We are happy to collaborate with Parks and reduce emissions as they improve, nurture, and protect our greenspaces for the enjoyment of all New Yorkers."

“These new electric pickup trucks significantly bolster our agency's expanding EV fleet and help ensure we’re leading the way on improving air quality throughout the city while reducing fuel costs,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “We’re grateful to DCAS for providing these essential vehicles, as this administration continues to meet the moment in response to global climate change.”

The 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning pickup trucks will be operated by Parks for a variety of uses, including maintenance and operations, support for their forestry work, as transport to facilitate public programming, and more. The first set of pickups arrived at Parks in late August and the full complement of trucks is expected by the end of the year. With this addition, these vehicles will comprise more than 17 percent of the pickup trucks used by the agency. Currently, Parks is using more than 570 on-road electric vehicles, about 36% of its fleet. In addition, Parks employs hundreds of other electric units including forklifts, utility carts, and ride-on mowers.

The F-150 Lightning features one of the largest capacity batteries available in any electric truck, ensuring efficiency when caring for the city’s parks and public spaces. The vehicles feature a standard EPA-estimated range of 240 miles.

This addition to the Parks fleet, made possible by DCAS, emphasizes the commitment by both agencies to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, especially in and around the city’s greenspaces. DCAS’ transition to an electric fleet also represents increased savings on maintenance and fuel costs for city government and New York City taxpayers.

“DCAS is working with 50 agencies and offices to transition to an electric plug-in fleet,” said DCAS Deputy Commissioner and NYC Chief Fleet Officer Keith Kerman. “NYC Parks is far and ahead the earliest and leading adopter with nearly 600 electric on-road vehicles, the vast majority of which are all-electric or solar as opposed to plug-in hybrids. DCAS looks forward to growing our EV partnership and EV charging rollout with NYC Parks and all City agencies as we work to stay the greenest fleet in the nation.” 

In September 2022, DCAS reached its goal of transitioning 4,000 vehicles in the city fleet to electric vehicles (EV) — three years ahead of schedule. Currently, the electric fleet includes a wide range of vehicle types and categories from 350 Ford Mustang Mach Es, most of which are used for law enforcement purposes, over 1,000 GM Bolts, and 324 E transit cargo vans used in skilled trades and storehouses.

DCAS expects to operate over 5,000 EVs by the end of the year. The agency has also ordered the first three electric buses for the Department of Correction; 12 electric rack trucks, three all-electric passenger vans; nine electric garbage trucks, and eight electric sweepers for the Department of Sanitation. Additionally, the agency has completed its first EV contract for electric box trucks; the first units are slated to go to the City’s Medical Examiner’s Office and Department of Cultural Affairs.

In addition to increasing the EV fleet, DCAS also operates the largest EV charging network in New York State with over 1,700 charging ports available to fleet units including fast chargers and solar carports. DCAS will deploy another 500 charging ports in the next 18 months.

About the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services

The NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) makes city government work for all New Yorkers. Our commitment to equity, effectiveness, and sustainability guides our work providing City agencies with the resources and support needed to succeed, including:

• Recruiting, hiring, and training City employees.
• Managing 55 public buildings.
• Acquiring, selling, and leasing City property.
• Purchasing over $1 billion in goods and services for City agencies.
• Overseeing the greenest municipal vehicle fleet in the country.
• Leading the City’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions from government operations.

Learn more about DCAS by visiting nyc.gov/dcas and by following us on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and listening to the Inside Citywide podcast. 

About NYC Parks

NYC Parks is the steward of more than 30,000 acres of land — 14 percent of New York City — including more than 5,000 individual properties ranging from Coney Island Beach and Central Park to community gardens and Greenstreets. We operate more than 800 athletic fields and nearly 1,000 playgrounds, 1,800 basketball courts, 550 tennis courts, 65 public pools, 51 recreational facilities, 15 nature centers, 14 golf courses, and 14 miles of beaches. We care for 1,200 monuments and 23 historic house museums. We look after 600,000 street trees, and two million more in parks. We are New York City's principal provider of recreational and athletic facilities and programs. We are home to free concerts, world-class sports events, and cultural festivals.

For more information, visit nyc.gov/parks.

Press Contacts:
DCAS: Anessa Hodgson, ahodgson@dcas.nyc.gov
NYC Parks: Gregg McQueen, gregg.mcqueen@parks.nyc.gov