New York City is expanding the Fire Department’s electric vehicle fleet with 30 new units, including the city’s first fully electric paramedic response vehicles, in a move aimed at reducing emissions and improving emergency response performance.
The newly deployed vehicles include 11 Ford Mustang Mach-E crossovers, 13 Ford F-150 Lightning pickups, five Chevrolet Blazer EVs, and one Ford E-Transit van. Among them are four high-priority paramedic response units (PRUs) now active at three Bronx EMS stations. Officials say the all-electric PRUs are expected to cut emissions while enhancing real-time medical response in densely populated areas.
“This investment is a key ground for innovation,” said Keith Kerman, Deputy Commissioner at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) and New York City’s Chief Fleet Officer. “In greening FDNY’s sensitive and complex emergency equipment, we prove that we can enhance anything with sustainable and eco-friendly solutions.”
The FDNY now operates 66 all-electric vehicles, supported by 33 charging ports citywide. The department has also begun installing fast-charging infrastructure, including the first high-speed charger at EMS Station 18 in the Bronx.
Beyond electric vehicles, DCAS reports that all 636 city ambulances now feature plug-in hybrid alternative power units (APUs), 350 are equipped with solar panels, and all operate on renewable diesel. An additional 150 solar-equipped ambulances are currently on order as part of the city’s broader sustainability plan.
The initiative supports New York’s Clean Fleet Plan, which aims to reduce fleet-related greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2025. The city has already exceeded its original target of deploying 2,000 EVs by 2025, reaching more than 5,000 by May 2024. Officials now aim to bring that number to 6,000 by the end of next year.
