Executive Summary: November 13th AEG/ACT Northeast Clean Transportation Summit Citywide Fleet Electrification Stakeholder Challenge
Overview
Held on November 13th, 2025 at Con Edison in New York, eighty-five public and private industry leaders convened for the 2025 AEG/ACT Northeast Clean Transportation Summit. The purpose of this summit was to: 1.) Align on a critical obstacle regarding fleet electrification affecting the Northeast; Regionally and NYC Citywide; 2.) Engage as cross sector teams to agree on a 90 day sprint and 12-month goal; 3.) Empower leaders to deliver the solution and present the outcome at the 2026 AEG/ACT Northeast Clean Transportation Summit.
Paris Apollon, Executive Director of Sustainability, NYC DCAS provided opening remarks to frame the discussion surrounding NYC Citywide fleet electrification.
Opening remarks were followed by the Citywide Fleet Electrification Speaker Challenge, where each speaker provided a presentation that concluded with this completed statement: "Regarding citywide fleet electrification, a critical obstacle to collectively overcome in 12 months is _________."
5 KEY THEMES
1. Solve Grid Capacity, Interconnection Delays & Site Constraints
NYC fleets cannot scale electrification without faster, more predictable access to power, as many depots lack sufficient capacity and face long interconnection timelines. Addressing these delays is essential for fleets to plan deployments with confidence and avoid multi-year stalls in infrastructure readiness.
“Existing grid in some regions often cannot support the energy demand required for fleet electrification.” — Benjamin Mandel, L-Charge
2. Establish Sustainable, Transparent Total Cost of Ownership & Reduce Grant Dependency
High upfront vehicle costs, installation expenses, and uncertainty about long-term operating expenses make electrification financially risky for many operators. Sustainable adoption requires transparent pricing and financing pathways that reduce reliance on unpredictable subsidy cycles.
“The current upfront cost of an electric school bus is 3x the cost of its diesel counterpart… and that does not include charging equipment or installation costs.” — Corey Muirhead, Logan Bus
3. Deploy Flexible Charging Options: Mobile, Off-Grid & Shared ‘Bridge to Wires’ Solutions
NYC must accelerate near-term electrification by enabling charging solutions that operate independently of utility interconnection timelines. Mobile, off-grid, and shared charging models create flexible pathways for fleets to transition now while permanent infrastructure catches up.
“A critical obstacle… is identifying where off-grid charging solutions make sense as a ‘bridge to wires.’” — Benjamin Mandel, L-Charge
4. Strengthen Cross-Sector Coordination, Governance & Industry Partnerships
New York’s complex logistics, warehouse operations, land arrangements, and fleet ownership structures demand coordinated planning across public agencies, private operators, utilities, OEMs, and workforce partners. Building shared frameworks and collaborative governance models will accelerate compliance, reduce costs, and streamline deployment.
“Bringing the goods movement industry and stakeholders together to create plans and partnerships… is the critical obstacle to overcome.” — Dawn Miller, NYC Mayor’s Office
5. Address Operational Readiness: Workforce, Specialized EV Designs & Government Support
Fleets require vehicles designed for NYC’s unique duty cycles, from emergency response to heavy-duty delivery, along with clear operational and workforce training pathways. Targeted government action and manufacturer incentives are needed to ensure the market delivers the vehicles and capabilities required for large-scale deployment.
“Securing Government support… that will incentivize manufacturers to improve efficiencies, reduce costs, and solve operational needs.” — Paris Apollon, NYC DCAS
Inspired by the statement provided by Dawn Miller (NYC Office of the Mayor), participants agreed to prioritize this selected obstacle statement: “Bringing the goods movement industry and stakeholders together to create plans and partnerships to support indirect source rule compliance.” Participants then designed, and pitched a 90-day sprint and 12-month goal to best address this critical obstacle.
6 leaders formed a volunteer Task Force to complete a 90-day sprint:
Task Force Volunteers: Steven Moelk, IKEA - Co-Lead, Zach Miller, Trucking Association of New York - Co-Lead, Ryan Bossis, DNV, Joy Gardner, Empire Clean Cities, Dawn Miller, NYC Mayor's Office, Yangbo Du, PLACE Initiative
To join this group of volunteers, please contact us at info@goadvancedenergy.com.
12-Month Task Force Update
The 12-month deliverable of the 2024 AEG Northeast Citywide Fleet Electrification Task Force is the advancement of a coordinated, cross-sector effort to accelerate urban fleet decarbonization through shared learning and practical deployment tools. Over the past year, the task force presented at the NYC Fleet Show, launched a regional Fleet Electrification Survey, hosted a LinkedIn Live session with L-Charge and Manhattan Beverage Distributors, conducted a technical site visit, and produced a one-page business-case toolkit to guide fleet decision-making. These achievements strengthened regional understanding of operational barriers, charging models, and cost drivers, laying the groundwork for deeper collaboration among fleets, utilities, OEMs, and city agencies. As the group advances into 2025, it will culminate its work by publishing a whitepaper that captures insights, recommendations, and pathways for accelerating zero-emission fleet adoption across New York City. .
Learn more and view the 1-Pager deliverable here.
Conclusion
The 2025 AEG/ACT Northeast Clean Transportation Summit convened fleet operators, utilities, technology innovators, city and state agencies, and goods-movement stakeholders to address the most pressing barriers to achieving citywide fleet electrification in New York. The Citywide Fleet Electrification Stakeholder Challenge highlighted the need to expand flexible charging options, improve cross-sector coordination, establish transparent and sustainable cost pathways, and resolve operational and workforce readiness gaps across varied fleet types. As volunteer task force members move forward with their coordinated 90-day sprint, their collective efforts to align data, partnerships, and deployment strategies will be critical to accelerating near-term progress and laying the groundwork for a healthier, more efficient, and more resilient transportation future for New York City.
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