Reported by the Consulate General of France in New York on December 19, 2017. (Contributed by Halida Nauleau).
Paris and New York City are launching a challenge that calls on the tech industry to fight against climate change and move towards green transportation. Paris, which has taken the lead on promoting the transition to electric vehicles, will use this challenge as an opportunity to increase access to fast charging stations in the city.
This challenge is part of the NYCx moonshot challenges that calls on the tech industry to develop and deliver solutions to scale electric vehicle charging hubs and accelerate the use of electric vehicles citywide.
Though the cost of electric cars and trucks has become more affordable, ensuring the infrastructure is in place to help New York City drivers make the switch is essential to facilitate electric vehicle (EV) use. EVs release no tailpipe emissions, require less maintenance and are ideal for city driving, making them one essential component to delivering a greener transportation system, and achieving the City’s ambitious climate goals.
The city’s transportation sector currently accounts for nearly 30 percent of local greenhouse gas emissions, 90 percent of which comes from private vehicle use. The NYCx climate moonshot challenge invites global tech stakeholders to creatively develop solutions to help drivers more easily make the shift away from fossil fuels to cleaner vehicles. Participants will be asked to identify and test a mix of breakthrough EV charging technologies, as well as develop a plan to incentivize EV usage.
“We are continuing to be aggressive in addressing the threat of climate change,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “NYCx is mobilizing tech to accelerate our actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and calling on the disruptors and tech experts to join.”
Winning solutions will complement previously announced plans to develop new, fast charging stations across the city with a $10 million investment to develop hubs with up to 20 chargers per site. Up to four finalists will be awarded $20,000 each to develop and present proposals to staff from the NYC Department of Transportation and Mayor’s Office of Sustainability. The winner will be eligible to have elements of their submission included in the City’s EV charging roadmap. These efforts can, in coordination with the City’s Clean Fleet program, support the Administration’s target of having 20 percent of motor vehicle registrations in New York City be electric by 2025.
The NYCx Moonshot Climate Challenge launches just as the world marks the two-year anniversary of the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement by nearly 195 entities. Despite federal abdication of climate leadership and withdrawal from the Paris Agreement this past spring, Mayor de Blasio pledged New York City would adhere to the agreement and accelerate the city’s already ambitious goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050 from 2005 levels. The City announced those priorities to reduce emissions from buildings, waste and transportation sectors earlier this year in the city’s 1.5°C climate action plan.
Paris which has long been a leader on transitioning drivers to electric vehicles, will launch a challenge to increase access to fast charging stations in the city. As part of this partnership, the City of Paris will also engage the tech community in identifying solutions to their city’s unique transportation needs through a Paris&co Urban Lab challenge.
“Paris and New York are committed to climate action,” said Mayor Anne Hidalgo. “Launching a challenge in partnership with the City of New York, Paris is joining the call to global technologists to help us take action to tackle climate change and move toward clean mobility.”
NYCx competition participants in New York can submit proposals online at [http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycx/climate/climateactionchallenge.html].