Alongside 14 other states, New York recently announced that it will electrify all its trucks, vans, and buses by 2050 – in what could be one of the most comprehensive efforts to cut diesel engine pollution in the US.
Now, in a bid to pave the way for real progress towards its zero-emissions goal, the state’s Governor Andrew Cuomo announced an investment program that would allocate $750 million to build charging stations and other electric-vehicle infrastructure.
Out of the $750 million investment, $701 million will be allocated for EV infrastructure and other initiatives in the “EV Made Ready” program, which would create more than 50,000 charging stations by 2025.
The remaining $48.8 million is allocated from a 2017 settlement with German carmaker Volkswagen over its diesel emissions scandal and will pay for charging stations and electric school and transit buses.
A further $85 million will fund three innovative clean transport prize competitions, which will zero in on solutions that reduce harmful air pollution in frontline communities, creating transportation “green zones”, and enabling access to clean transport services for disadvantaged and underserved communities.
