FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 12, 2011
Contact: John Cross, (816)668-4877, jcross@environmentamerica.org
Alex
Wall, (202)548-4595, alex.wall@sierraclub.org
Bloomberg’s Electric Vehicle Announcement and “Revenge of the Electric
Car” Documentary Promote a Solution to High Gas Prices and our Oil Addiction
New York, NY— Today, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg
announced the addition of 70 new electric vehicles for New York’s vehicle
fleet, giving the Big Apple the largest electric vehicle fleet of any city in
the country. The announcement coincides
with tonight’s screening in Central Park of a new documentary, Revenge of the Electric Car, which
presents a critical part of the solution to our nation’s dangerous addiction to
oil.
“Mayor
Bloomberg’s creation of the country’s largest city fleet of electric vehicles and
Revenge of the Electric Car
demonstrate the tremendous potential for electric vehicles to save American
families money at the gas pump and help us end our dangerous addiction to oil,”
said Gina Coplon-Newfield, director of the Sierra Club’s Electric Vehicles
campaign. The Sierra Club is co-sponsoring
tonight’s film screening.
Mayor Bloomberg’s announcement and tonight’s screening come
as the Obama administration is considering a fuel efficiency standard for cars
and light trucks that could set at least a 60 mile-per-gallon standard for cars
made in 2025.
“Whether
they are automakers, smart grid technology companies, electrical workers,
environmentalists or just ordinary consumers, all Americans stand to reap huge
benefits from electric vehicles,” said Coplon-Newfield. “By ensuring a strong standard of at least 60
miles per gallon for cars and small trucks in 2025, we will be able to make the
switch to electric vehicles sooner, reducing dangerous pollution significantly
and helping to move our nation beyond oil.”
In a recent report, “Beating the Heat with Clean Cars,” Environment
New York found that New York State would save $3 billion at the pump in just
one summer if cars today met the 60 MPG standard.
“New Yorkers could have cleaner air and improved public
health for their families, and they could save money in the process,” said John
Cross, transportation advocate with Environment New York. “Setting a 60 mpg
standard is the greatest step the country can take to ensure that electric cars
and other clean vehicles play a pivotal role in our future, and those vehicles
will ensure that New York’s future—and the country’s—will be clean, prosperous
and secure.”
“Chris Paine’s Revenge
of the Electric Car demonstrates that this country has the technology and
the know-how to produce cars that use no oil and produce little or no
pollution, and Mayor Bloomberg’s announcement is an important step forward in
making those cars the norm and not the exception,” said Cross. “The cost of our oil dependence has grown out
of control, from the outrageous prices we pay at the pump, to the pollution of
the air that our families breathe and the warming of our climate, to disasters
like the Gulf Oil Spill last year and the recent spill on the Yellowstone
River. Today’s events demonstrate that we can bring New York and the country
the cars that will move us beyond the consequences of our oil dependence and
into a brighter future.”
Today,
Mayor Bloomberg also announced a new web site that will help New Yorkers
learn more about electric vehicles and how and where to charge them.
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The Sierra Club is the nation’s largest and most influential grassroots
environmental organization. Founded in
1892, our 1.4 million members and supporters work to explore, enjoy and protect
the planet.
Environment New York is a statewide, citizen-based environmental
advocacy organization, working to protect New York’s air, water and open
spaces. www.EnvironmentNewYork.org
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