New York City is swapping its gas-guzzling government sedans for clean

Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office said the announcement was timed to coincide with the Paris climate talks now underway.

– Increase the use of alternatives to traditional diesel fuels, including higher biodiesel blends, compressed natural gas (CNG) or renewable diesel, to displace the use of traditional diesel fuel in city vehicles by 2035. Amy Spitalnick, a spokeswoman for Mr.de Blasio, said that less consumption of fuel resulting into fuel savings will offset additional like more purchase price for electric cars.

– Release a Request for Information for additional cutting-edge technology solutions for both light- and heavy-duty vehicles, including advanced battery EVs, hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles and CNG vehicles. This would mean half of the city’s non-emergency sedans would be electric.

The conversion, which would occur in phases as existing vehicles are retired, is projected to help cut the city government’s vehicle emissions by about 50 percent by 2025, Spitalnick said.

The New York Times reported that the program would require a capital investment of $50 to 80 million over the next decade, to support the creation of additional charging capacity for the vehicles. First, the city must identify and secure space to set up recharging stations.

NYC Clean Fleet is the latest in a series of climate initiatives outlined in the Mayor’s OneNYC plan, with a long-term goal of reducing all greenhouse gas emissions across the city 80% by 2050. And some cars often need to travel distances farther than the range of most current electric cars.

In the United States, California has done much to lead the way when it comes to electric cars, with the state accounting for almost half of all such vehicles sold across the country.

New York City is racing against other larges cities to convert its gas-guzzling fleets to electric.

“Moving toward electric vehicles is an essential part of the nation and the world’s agenda to fight climate change”, Professor Michael B. Gerrard, Director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School, told the New York Daily News.

In 2014, about 2,700 New York City residents were newly diagnosed with HIV, a historical low.