NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS)
At a Glance
Industry
Government/Public Administration
Project Type
Zero Emission Vehicles, Freight and Logistics
Year
2022
Location
New York, NY
Goals
Under NYC Executive Orders 53 and 90, DCAS must fully electrify the city’s 30,000-vehicle fleet by 2035. This goal requires substantial investments in charging infrastructure, particularly level 3 fast charging—a still-evolving, complicated technology. Looking to make an informed, forward-looking procurement decision, DCAS enlisted Courtney Schneider to study this technology in detail and draft requests for proposals (RFPs) that meet NYC’s immediate needs while also considering the resiliency and futureproofing of its charging network.
Solutions
To assist DCAS in their level 3 charger procurement, Courtney first considered DCAS’ needs and limitations, namely installation space restrictions and by-model fleet charging requirements. She then conducted market research, comparing DCAS’ needs with available technologies to identify all optimal solutions.
During her research, three factors emerged as primary areas of consideration:
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Hardware
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Software
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Grid Connection
Each of these factors raised a subset of questions, all with emphasis on optimization, futureproofing, cost reduction, and establishment of fail-safes.
After gathering answers, Courtney discussed her findings with DCAS. Together, they determined that providing NYC with a robust and diversified charging network required multiple RFPs, each with distinct technical requirements but consistent network, safety, and futureproofing language.
Potential Impact
The choice to issue multiple RFPs paves the way for diversification of electric vehicle charger output and mounting styles across NYC’s five boroughs.
Each RFP includes provisions that address key interoperability and technical limitations. This allows for streamlined, more secure operating system management and maximization of available charging power for both existing and future NYC fleet vehicles.
Manual (non-networked) operation requirements also provide a fail-safe during software-, hardware-, or grid-related outages. This ensures continuity of charging service and fulfills an essential need for emergency service vehicles.