Electric buses, bikes and choppers. NYC and state agencies have made many commitments in recent years to electrify their various fleets, but what does the future hold for these clean-air vehicles now that President Donald Trump is back in office?
Trump promised on day one of his second presidency to get to work right away by signing at least 100 executive orders, among them possibly being a rollback of the federal government’s “electric vehicle mandate,” which includes new clean-air standards for light-duty and medium-duty vehicles starting in 2027.
The rule is just one part of former President Joe Biden’s sweeping goal to have 50% of all new vehicle sales electric by 2030. What the future of this agenda means for official state and city vehicles remains to be seen.
But in the meantime, it is clean-air business as usual at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the New York state-run agency that oversees NYC’s trains and buses. Officials here announced on Jan. 12 that it would upgrade its fleet with over 200 zero-emissions buses slated for various NYC depots starting in late 2025–and that plan has not changed.
The MTA, which does not have a position on DC politics, is continuing on a path that officials say is best for NYC and its surrounding suburbs.
“This is years in the making. We’re going to have an all-electric fleet–or zero-emissions fleet–by 2040. And we’re proceeding along a path that would take us there,” said Tim Minton, the MTA communications director. “It’s not related to politics. It’s just what we think makes sense for New York, and we’ve been doing it for years.”
Kara Gurl, planning and advocacy manager for the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, underscored the importance of green buses from a rider’s perspective.
“The MTA’s shift towards electric buses helps to make riding more pleasant while also reducing emissions and making transit greener,” she said. “The MTA is already the most sustainable way to get around, and electric buses are another step in the right direction.”
The NYC Department of Transportation (DOT), which plans to incorporate electric vehicles into its road system, announced new micro hub zones on Jan. 14 this month to help reduce truck traffic in the often-congested Big Apple.
The pilot program, which will start in five locations located in Greenpoint, Clinton Hill, and the Upper West Side, features the use of e-vehicles, including small electric sprinter vans to be used on the last leg of delivery routes.
According to the DOT, the plan is truckin’ along, along with the city’s major initiative announced in August to build 600 new EV chargers throughout the boroughs.
“We will review the executive order,” said Nick Benson, the DOT’s chief communications director and deputy commissioner. “There are currently no plans to change either initiative.”
As politics roll on in DC, clean-air technology will take to NYC skies as the Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) said it is continuing its plan to improve the Downtown Manhattan heliport with new charging infrastructure to support incoming eVTOL air vehicles—short for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft—powered by batteries.
Jeff Holmes, a spokesperson for the NYCEDC, said the agency is monitoring the new presidential administration’s policies as it “remains excited” to welcome Downtown Skyport, the company that will be the new operator of the Lower Manhattan sky hub.
“We are monitoring the new Administration’s policies and priorities, but we have seen no indication that they will interrupt the Federal Aviation Administration eVTOL certification process underway,” Holmes said. “We expect this quieter, cleaner, greener alternative to traditional helicopters to not only reduce truck traffic but bring huge quality of life improvements for all New Yorkers.”
