Photo Credit: General Kinematics
In Westchester, 40% of our greenhouse gas emissions come from the transportation sector, more than any other category. The government, individuals, and organizations have taken note of this and are working to improve our contribution to the world.
In fact, Westchester county, at both the private and public level, is moving towards improving our planet through the use of electric vehicles. This is hardly a new phenomenon. In 2011, Westchester County approved a law requiring the purchase of environmentally conscious vehicles, be they high-mileage, hybrids, or fully alternatively fueled, like electric vehicles, for most public purposes.
However, these mandations contained exemptions for certain vehicles, such as emergency and safety vehicles, which have often been used as loopholes to limit the effectiveness of the reform. Further, the law doesn’t require fully electric vehicles, and so its effectiveness today, where electric vehicles are much more obtainable, is limited.
Because of this, Westchester has been adapting and pushing forward on this front. In the beginning of 2020, legislation was passed guaranteeing the construction of charging stations in all of the county’s parking garages and lots whenever they have construction done.
Later that same year, the County purchased 6 40-foot fully electric buses. In fact, half of the County’s Bee-Line buses are electric-hybrid vehicles. Aside from public transport, Westchester County owns hundreds of electric or hybrid vehicles.
Photo Credit: Westchester County Police
Just last month, the Westchester County Department of Public Safety purchased their first all-electric patrol car, to be given to the precinct in Mount Kisco. It will be the village’s fifth electric vehicle in their fleet. According to Public Safety Commissioner Terrance Raynor, the purchase is part of a test to see if the vehicle, a Ford Mustang Mach-E, is an effective patrol vehicle and if more should be acquired in the future. He also says it is yet another symbol of Westchester’s commitment to reducing its Carbon footprint. This vehicle, as well as most other electric vehicles, are cheaper to run and maintain, providing further benefit and incentive to continue their utilization.
Photo Credit: New York State
In the private arena, there are 14,502 electric vehicles registered in Westchester, and the number of EV;’s registered each year has seen continued growth. In the above figure, the blue represents fully electric cars(BEV), while the green represents plug-in hybrids.
Although these numbers signify substantial growth, there is still much work to be done. Currently, there are less than 11 fully electric vehicles per 1000 people in Westchester, and less than 5 plug-in hybrids.
Photo Credit: New York State
Leaving the ground level, at Westchester County Airport, the first demonstration flight of a piloted electric vehicle in the New York Metro area in late February. This grants Westchester a place in New York’s history as a pioneer of electric travel, and you can watch this accomplishment in action and learn more about here.
This particular plane, the ALIA-250, is small, and not yet approved to carry passengers, but once it is, its manufacturer plans to deploy 20 of this model into service. It has a range of 250 nautical miles and charges in a mere 50 minutes. Most importantly, it produces zero emissions while in flight.
Electric vehicles provide an amazing and crucial opportunity for humanity to reduce its harm to the Earth, but even they are not flawless. Although electricity itself is a clean energy source, the way the majority of people obtain that electricity results in carbon emissions. Most power grids in the United States use a mix of renewable energy and fossil fuels, which is still far more sustainable than gasoline powered cars, but still something to be mindful of. However, many plants still use coal as a primary source, which results in critical emissions that mitigate the benefits of an electric vehicle. To maximize the impact of an electric car, it is best to charge from sources you know are generating clean energy. One way to guarantee this is to charge off of solar panels at home.
Not only will maximizing electric vehicles’ environmental benefits help the planet, but it can help the users as well! At the most basic levels, charging a car is far cheaper than filling it with gas, and with solar panels, that cost is practically eliminated. In addition, there are many programs to provide incentives for purchasing electric vehicles and using them effectively, as seen below. Lastly, the price of electric vehicles is dropping around 18% per year, and there are more and more varieties with better and better features available that make EV’s practical and completely suitable for the needs of almost every driver.
Photo Credit: Sustainable Westchester
As a country, we desperately need to lower our carbon footprint and, although it’s easy to feel as though we in Westchester have little effect in the grand scheme of things, it is essential that we do our part and contribute to the betterment of the environment. It takes everyone to make change, and everyone doing whatever they can adds up to create a positive impact we can create.
Sources:
https://sustainablewestchester.org/ctransportation/
https://www.westchestergov.com/sustainable-transportation
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/02/climate/electric-vehicles-environment.html
https://sustainablewestchester.org/ctransportation/residents/
https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/ChargeNY/Support-Electric/Map-of-EV-Registrations
https://www.generalkinematics.com/blog/electric-vehicles-and-the-effect-on-the-metal-market/