We will promote wider use of clean vehicles
In addition to using fewer vehicles, we can also make the ones we have more efficient. Already, New York State has adopted some of the newer vehicle emission standards enacted by California. This alone will reduce New York City's total CO2 emissions by over 6% by 2030. But there is still room to be more ambitious; we will encourage the state to follow new fuel standards established by California that would reduce carbon emissions from all gasoline sold in New York State.

The City can also do more to reduce emissions of both criteria pollutants and CO2 by encouraging the purchase of the cleanest, most efficient cars, and increasing the efficiency of taxis and for-hire vehicles.

We will waive New York City's sales tax on the cleanest, most efficient vehicles
In a five-year pilot program, the City will waive its portion of the New York State sales tax on the purchase of the cleanest and most efficient vehicles, including hybrids, according to the highest performance ratings in criteria set by the EPA.

On average, qualifying vehicles attain roughly twice the fuel efficiency and reduce air emissions by half. If 10% of the city's gas vehicles were efficient hybrids, it would reduce our citywide CO2 emissions by 1%, and by 2030, if market trends accelerate, this will result in more than a 3% PM 2.5 emissions reduction citywide.

Progress (as of 4/22/08):
On February 27, State Senator Lanza and Assemblyman Espaillat introduced the hybrid sales tax legislation (Senate Bill 7023/Assembly Bill 042581A) to the State Assembly. The City will seek approval by the end of June 2008.

We will work with the MTA, the Port Authority, and the State Department of Transportation (State DOT) to promote hybrid and other clean vehicles
In other cities, toll discounts, preferential lane access, and other privileges have been granted to owners of hybrid cars to encourage people to buy them. Such incentives must be applied cautiously; for maximum effect, a single, region-wide approach would need to be adopted. The City will work with the other operators of the region's transportation network to identify approaches for promoting the most efficient vehicles that would make sense for New York.

Progress (as of 4/22/08):
DOT and OLTPS have started to explore expansion of the State's Clean Vehicle Pass program in New York City. The City will initiate meetings with PANYNJ and the MTA to discuss this and other options for providing incentives to promote hybrid and other clean vehicles. The City is also commenting on national legislation to improve fuel economy on all vehicles nationwide.

We will pilot new technologies and fuels, including hydrogen and plug-in hybrid vehicles
The City was an early convert to hybrid vehicles and helped build a broader market for this technology. Over 1,700 hybrids have been added to the City's vehicle fleet in the past five years. By 2006, hybrids represented nearly 7% of the City's total fleet, as compared with less than 1% of the private vehicles registered in New York City.

To maintain our position as a leader in clean transportation technologies, the City will construct a hydrogen fueling station and pilot six hydrogen vehicles starting in 2008. Hydrogen cars emit little more than water vapor upon combustion. As a result, they are essentially zero emissions vehicles.

The three-year demonstration project will introduce the city to the possibilities and potential challenges of this technology. Through this pilot, we will establish a permitting process for hydrogen refueling and vehicle operation within the city and partner with the New York City Fire Department to develop safety standards for operating and refueling. By testing and refining these procedures, we will be able to accelerate a broader transition to hydrogen as soon as the technology becomes more readily available.

The fueling station will be owned and operated by Shell Hydrogen, a division of the Shell Group. Two sites in the Bronx and Staten Island are currently under consideration to be the first hydrogen fueling location in the city. To fund the $820,000 project, the City has applied to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) for a grant.

In addition to hydrogen, we are carefully tracking the development of plug-in hybrid technology. A plug-in hybrid functions like a regular hybrid, but its battery can be charged by plugging into a standard outlet, instead of relying exclusively on the car's gasoline-fueled engine. Drivers can run on the electric mode to achieve 100 miles per gallon, consuming significantly less petroleum and emitting fewer air pollutants and greenhouse gases.

Progress (as of 4/22/08):
In October, Shell Hydrogen, and the Department of Sanitation (DSNY), working in conjunction with General Motors, reached an agreement to locate a pilot hydrogen fueling station in the city. Shell is finalizing a lease agreement with DSNY and then will submit the station for review to the Department of Buildings (DOB) and the Fired Department of New York (FDNY). The team has been proposed a second station at Kennedy Airport and a lease agreement is under development. In 2008, the City will finalize an agreement with the New York State Energy Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) to share the costs of converting 5 vehicles to internal combustion hydrogen.