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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 330-03
November 19, 2003

MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG AND EPA REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR JANE KENNY THANK THE DAIMLERCHRYSLER COMPANY FOR DONATING 352 GLOBAL ELECTRIC MOTORCARS TO NEW YORK CITY

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny, Department of Environmental (DEP) Commissioner Christopher O. Ward and Mark Englesdorfer, the Director of DaimlerChysler New York Business Center announced that the DaimlerChrysler Company has donated 352 multi-purpose Global Electric Motorcars (GEMs) to New York City.  GEMs are two or four- passenger vehicles and operate on virtually zero exhaust emission technology. They can travel up to 30 miles per hour and are the first multi-purpose vehicle engineered for both streets and grass.  The City will put the vehicles to use in its parks, large operating facilities such as wastewater treatment plants, garages, trucking locations, and schools and universities with large campuses and on Governor’s Island.  The value of the gift is more than $3 million.

“We want to express our thanks and appreciation to the DaimlerChrysler Company for their generous donation,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “New York City is committed to the support of environmentally healthy and friendly technology.  These emission-free vehicles will be of great assistance to our City agencies, and will at the same time improve air quality and occupational health and safety.”

“DaimlerChrysler is delighted to make this important contribution to the City of New York, which we know will be an integral step in ensuring its environmental efforts are successful in the years to come,” said Mark Englesdorfer.

“The addition of electric cars to New York City’s fleet is especially welcome, since over half of our air pollution comes from conventional cars, trucks and buses,” said Regional Administrator Kenny. “Anything the City does to limit carbon monoxide, sooty particles and other air pollutants benefits New Yorkers and the environment, and I congratulate Mayor Bloomberg on his many efforts to green the City’s fleet.”

 “Our agency has received a total of 80 of these emission-free electric vehicles,” said Commissioner Ward. “They are already being used at some of our wastewater treatment plants, and we have plans to utilize them at other DEP facilities.  Known as Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs), they are practical, affordable, safe and most importantly, contribute to our efforts to employ environmentally friendly technology.  To further our mission, I am also pleased to say, that DEP has donated two of its NEVs to the one of the City’s important cultural institutions, the Queens Botanical Garden.”

“We are grateful for DaimlerChrysler’s donation that will aid the maintenance and operations of our City’s Parks,” said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe.  “These vehicles are small and quiet so they blend in with the natural environment.  They will be used for a variety of important functions citywide, including large park inspections and transporting staff for cleaning and performing other assignments.”

GEMs operate using a charger that plugs into any 110-volt outlet.  They require only two low-maintenance batteries that recharge fully in eight to ten hours. Originally introduced to Manhattan on Earth Day, 2003, the vehicles have made their way to the vehicular fleets of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which is using them in their vast wastewater treatment plants; to the New York City Department of Transportation, and to the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation as an important addition to its normal round of horticultural other services.







MEDIA CONTACT:


Ed Skyler / Jordan Barowitz   (212) 788-2958



GENERAL CONTACT:

Charles Sturcken   (DEP)
(718) 595-6600

Megan Sheekey   (Parks)
(212) 360-1311


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