The City of Yonkers, N.Y., Mayor Mike Spano signed an executive order on Jan. 14 stating that the city will only buy electric models of light-duty vehicles for fleet use. Waivers are considered where an electric vehicle (EV) option for a given application is unavailable or cost-prohibitive.

The executive order also states that the city will prioritize the procurement of EV models of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles when these options become available at a cost comparable to conventional fuel vehicles and where service levels are not negatively impacted.

In addition, the city will create a Green Fleet Standards Review Committee to review requests for new vehicle purchases, support the development of adding EVs in each agency, and conduct an annual review. It will consist of city department representatives.

The City of Yonkers has a fleet of more than 1,000 vehicles, and 550 of these are light-duty vehicles (sedans, vans, and SUVs). The light-duty fleet has a combined fuel economy of 20 mpg and consumes about 260,000 gallons of gasoline annually.

The city has already started to transition to electric and high-fuel-efficiency vehicles and installed new EV charging stations. The city expects the transition to EVs will significantly reduce vehicle maintenance costs and fuel consumption.