Ten Transit Connect Electric Vans Join New York City Fleet
The Oak Park hybrid and electric truck powertrain developer Azure Dynamics Corp. (OTC: AZDDF) Thursday announced that 10 Ford Transit Connect Electric van sales to New York City as part of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's PlaNYC agenda to create a greener New York City.
Said Scott Harrison, Azure Dynamics' CEO: "The thrust for adoption of EV technology is growing rapidly worldwide and Mayor Bloomberg's 'Drive Electric NYC' educational program will help sustain that momentum by providing facts about electric vehicles to encourage more city residents to consider electric for their next vehicle purchase."
New York City boasts the largest municipal electric vehicle fleet in the country, now totaling 430 units. Azure's Transit Connect Electric will be deployed in multiple city departments including the New York Fire Department and the departments of transportation, central administration and sanitation. In addition to acquiring EV units, the city hopes to accelerate EV adoption among its residents.
"We will continue to lead by example, but we must also provide New Yorkers with the tools to make environmentally friendly choices in their own lives," Bloomberg said. "When provided with the facts, people become far more likely to choose an electric vehicle."
Mayor Bloomberg cited a survey by McKinsey & Company that suggested that when people are provided basic information they become dramatically more interested in electric vehicles. The study also suggested that the range of an electric vehicle far exceeds the average American's daily miles traveled.
"Although Azure has been immersed in electrified travel for decades, we thoroughly understand that EVs are a new and relatively unknown concept for many potential customers," said Harrison. "However, as NYC demonstrated, customer uncertainties are fading fast while the correlating appreciation for EV fuel and environmental advantages surge forward."
A unique combination of car-like driving dynamics, cargo capacity, maneuverability, accessibility and low operating costs are characteristics that make the Ford Transit Connect Electric an ideal choice for commercial customers seeking to lower fuel costs and improve environmental performance of their fleet. Commercial vehicle fleets are increasingly seen as the logical starting point for electric vehicles due to typical drive cycles that include travel on predictable, short-range, routes with frequent stop and go driving in tight urban or suburban environments. Commercial vehicles generally return to a central location at the end of a drive cycle making for efficient and convenient recharging over night.
The NYC Transit Connect Electric vans were sold through Syosset Ford, in Huntington, N.Y. The new NYC electric vehicle information website, 'Drive Electric NYC' is available at www.NYC.gov. More at www.azuredynamics.com.
