DHL, the world’s leading logistics company, recently announced that they will be rolling out an all “green” fleet of commercial delivery vehicles in Manhattan to help reduce its impact on the city’s environment, by Sept 2011. NYCLHVCC Executive Director CHRISTINA T. FICICCHIA attended the launch announcement, along with the Mayor's Office of Sustainability representative, Ari Kahn. .

For more information about DHL’s Green Initiatives, please visit their website here.
 

NYCLHVCC had a busy Fall 2010 and Spring 2011! We started our Electric Vehicle series with a Ride-and-Drive event at New York Power Authority highlighting the Azure/Ford Transit Connect. At this event, NYCLHVCC highlighted the importance of EVs followed by test drives of the new Azure/Ford Transit Connect.

One of the exciting opportunities presented to us was that NYCLHVCC was chosen as the NAFTC’s National Kickoff site for Odyssey Day 2010! NYCLHVCC’s Odyssey Day 2010 consisted of a presentation of more than 25 alternative fuel vehicles ranging from small to heavy duty vehicles; keynote speaker and environmentalist Josh Tickell; and reaching over 500 participants in outreach activities. Following Odyssey Day was NYCLHVCC’s 2010 first of three EV Symposium series, during which participants and fleet managers gathered to learn more about electric vehicles, charging infrastructures, and funding opportunities.

Recently, NYCLHVCC had our most popular event yet: the EV Symposium II- Electrifying Urban Delivery. This event, hosted by our stakeholder Anheuser Busch, targeted medium and heavy-duty delivery trucks. We educated over 120 fleet users by educating them on the different electric truck technologies. They were also able to hear directly from many of the region’s leading electric vehicle users on a great end user panel with our stakeholders UPS, Down East Seafood, FedEx, NYC Parks and Recreation, Coca-Cola, NYC Department of Sanitation, and the City of White Plains. Stay tuned for information on our final EV Symposium event in the fall of 2011!
 

Work together to move New York City & Lower Hudson Valley towards green energy options, energy independence, and transportation alternatives for everyone!

Membership Levels with Descriptions and Benefits

Platinum Membership – $5,000 Annually
NYCLHVCC Platinum sponsors are coalition members with a strong dedication to the cause of improving alternative fuel vehicles energy consumption and reducing emissions. As a Platinum Sponsor you and/or your company will receive an annual coalition membership, advanced notice of funding opportunities and announcements, your company name on the NYCLHVCC website, recognition at our annual Stakeholder meeting and a listing in our e-Newsletter (cir. 600).

Gold Membership – $2,500 Annually
Like the above Platinum Sponsor, Gold level annual memberships are strongly committed NYCLHVCC coalition stakeholders. The Gold level annual membership includes an annual coalition membership, advanced notice of funding opportunities and announcements, your company name on the NYCLHVCC website, and recognition at our annual Stakeholder meeting.

Silver Membership – $1,000 Annually
NYCLHVCC Silver annual members will receive an annual NYCLHVCC coalition membership, advanced notice of funding opportunities and announcements and your company name on the NYCLHVCC website.

Download the NYCLHVCC annual membership form for more information here. 

“I would like to see all of the companies running at least some electric trucks. The technology exists and it works.” –Ed Taylor, Down East Seafood

This month, NYCLHVCC would like to spotlight one of our most generous and innovative stakeholders, Down East Seafood. Down East Seafood is a fish distribution company owned by Edward Taylor and located in Hunts Point, Bronx. In addition to being committed to delivering quality, fresh fish daily, Ed Taylor and Down East Seafood are committed to making their deliveries with the smallest carbon footprint possible. Ed Taylor describes the need to go green when saying, “Shortly after our move, it became clear that Hunts Point is a community. Sure there are trucks coming in and out, but there are also children. Children that by no fault of their own are in an area that have heavy truck traffic. Trucks that attribute to the fact that the children of the Bronx have an asthma rate 7 times the national average. When an opportunity arose to be able to do something for the neighborhood that has become our home, we jumped.”

Jump they did! With the help of Paul Lipson, formally from Congressman Serrano’s office and Luis Torres, formally at the Center of Sustainable Energy the trio was able to make a plan to get Down East Seafood some clean trucks.

After seeing the film, Who Killed the Electric Car, Taylor was certain an Electric Truck could make its way into the Down East Seafood fleet. Taking initiative, Taylor traveled to the UK to the Smith Electric factory where he was able to test drive the technology. He was sold. “Smith was light years ahead and now, they are made right here in the US.”

With the funding support from BOEDC and NYSERDA, Down East Seafood welcomed their first Smith Electric truck to the family. They named the truck Big Green. Today, the electric truck family at Down East Seafood is growing, “We are so pleased with our Smith Electric that we have just purchased a second! She is lovingly referred to as ‘e2’ and can be seen making deliveries starting tomorrow (April 2011).” In addition to the air quality improvements and reduction of foreign oil use, Taylor is also very proud that he uses technologies made and produced right here, “Like the Smith Electric Newton, our electricity is made right here in the U.S.A.”

NYCLHVCC would like to congratulate Ed Taylor and Down East Seafood for all of their accomplishments as well as for being a truly dedicated stakeholder-committed to improving air quality in our region.
 

Ethanol Workshop
May 19, 2011; 9:00-1:00pm
At PACE University in lower Manhattan
Hosted by: PIERS
Sponsored By: NYCLHVCC and Renewable Fuels Association

3rd Annual Stakeholder Meeting
Idle Reduction: Technologies & Practices
May 25, 2011; 8:30-12:30pm followed by the NYC Parks & Recreation Fleet Show
At NY Hall of Sciences, Queens
Hosted By: NYCLHVCC & CTEP
Sponsored by: Department of Energy & Truck King International

Generator Set Workshop
June 9, 2011
Time: TBD
At Bronx Community College Playhouse

Please RSVP to: info@NYCLHVCC.org to sign up for any of these events. 

This year’s National Biodiesel Conference & Expo was held at the convention center in downtown Phoenix, Arizona from February 7th to 10th. The conference kicked off with a Superbowl party, where the biodiesel industry and supporters watched the Green Bay Packers battle out the championship title against the Pittsburgh Steelers. While Sunday night’s event split the winners from the losers, by Monday morning’s General Session, it was evident that everyone at the conference was feeling like a winner. The Biodiesel tax credit had been extended in Congress and the motto of the conference was that “business was getting done”.

Conference highlights consisted of an informative panel discussion on the petroleum industries role in delivering biodiesel to mass markets across the country, where our very own NYCLHVCC’s Board of Director’s President, and National BioDiesel Board member, Steven Levy of Sprague Energy, eloquently answered all the tough questions.

NYCLHVCC stakeholder Keith Kerman of NYC Parks and Recreation accepted the “Influence Award” on behalf of Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Kudos to the 4,000 NYC Department of Sanitation large trucks and snow plows that are running biodiesel blends of B5-B20 and NYC Department of Parks and Recreation operating a diverse fleet of vehicles and over 130 building on B20-B100 since 2006. With the new landmark air quality legislation passed just this year requiring at least 2% biodiesel in all heating oil sold in NYC, expect the biodiesel industry to pay more attention to NYC and its surrounding region as we replace ~20M gallons of petroleum annually!

NYCLHVCC Executive Director, Christina Ficicchia and other conference participants were given the opportunity to exhibit how other parts of the country are implementing and deploying biodiesel. After a visit to the City of Phoenix Maintenance Facility, where one New Yorker was amazed to see all of the City’s maintenance facilities fleet vehicles operate B20 out of one single location. We also had an opportunity to visit CalJet’s Terminal, the largest biodiesel distributor in the southwest and first BQ-9000 biodiesel marketer in the country. The highlight of the tour might have been getting a firsthand look at the City of Scottsdale’s biodiesel powered fire truck! The conference was a success with over 1000 attendees, next years 2012 conference in Orlando, Florida is worthy of any NYCLHVCC stakeholder’s mid-winter escape from the Northeast. Check out www.NBB,org for info on next years event.