The latest NYC operation to go all-electric with their fleet is the Mayor’s Office Street Conditions Observation Unit (SCOUT). SCOUT joins the Department for the Aging (DFTA), the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), Landmarks, Actuary, DCAS Citywide Pool Fleet, Department of Records (DORIS), Veteran’s Affairs, and GrowNYC in completing the transition to plug-in fleet units.

NYC’s Commitment to an All-Electric Fleet

In October 2023, NYC Mayor Eric Adams signed Local Law 140 of 2023, which calls for the NYC fleet to go all-electric by 2035 for light and medium duty units and 2038 for trucks where available. The fleet operates over 55 agencies and offices and supports hundreds of distinct service operations.

The Street Conditions Observation Unit is comprised of two programs, SCOUT and Scorecard, and has been operating since October 2007. Both programs are stationed within the NYC Mayor’s Office of Operations and are an intergovernmental collaboration of 12 Inspectors from 6 different agencies: DCAS, Buildings, Environmental Protection, Parks, Transportation, and Sanitation.

SCOUT and Scorecard: On-the-Ground Operations

SCOUT Inspectors drive every city street to identify and report on any potential issues regarding quality of life. SCOUT inspectors monitor various problems, including graffiti, litter, abandoned vehicles, potholes, missing street signs, sewer, and bus shelter maintenance. 

Scoreboard Inspectors are also canvassing all city streets, organized by community board (CB). Scoreboard inspectors focus on street and sidewalk cleanliness and organize their results into CB-based cleanliness scores. These scores help monitor the success of city agencies charged with public space maintenance.  

All of these inspections take place using all-electric vehicles. Today, SCOUT utilizes a fleet of 12 all-electric Chevy Bolts supplied through DCAS. Inspectors drive nearly 6,000 miles annually and use DCAS fast chargers for 91% of their charge-ups. DCAS has installed 323 fast chargers at city agencies in a network meant to be shared. SCOUT is an excellent example of this resource sharing, using fast chargers at nine separate agencies to power their vehicles.

“The early days of the EV fleet transition was not easy for our unit. Although SCOUT was selected to Pilot the electric Mini Cooper in 2010, many of the inspectors, including myself, still had concerns about the electric vehicle’s power in inclement weather, whether charging would impact productivity, and where we would charge these vehicles," said SCOUT Manager Jamal West. "In 2019, SCOUT, along with other city fleets, was allowed to bring on the Chevy Bolts, and we were impressed with the charge distance and features of the Bolts. Soon after, Scorecard also swapped out the gas vehicles for electric ones. I can confidently say our fears and concerns about electric vehicles are a thing of the past.”