The new arrivals, which include 50 Chevrolet Volts, 10 Ford Transit Connect Electric vans and 10 Navistar E-Star utility trucks, were announced at a press conference with Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Tuesday and will be divided amongst the city’s different departments.

A share of the 50 Chevrolet Volts will be used by the New York City Police Department, initially for non-emergency calls. The Volt joins a fleet which includes electric scooters, golf karts and the Ford Fusion Hybrid, but is the first time the NYPD has run an electric car.

The City is already working to position itself as an EV pioneer, using the largest volume of hybrid and electric cars in the USA. Its next step is utilising electric cars as taxis, following a trial with Nissan using six LEAFs to test the suitability of EV technology for its fleet of 13,000 yellow cabs.

If successful, the recently appointed Taxi of Tomorrow, the Nissan NV200, could be manufactured with an electric drivetrain.

The Administration is also hoping the vehicles could help inform consumers about the benefits of electric motoring. A recent study by McKinsey and Company, for the City, showed 21% of consumers would be more likely to purchase an EV if they were given basic facts.

‘This is the latest and largest-ever addition of electric vehicles to the City’s fleet, which is already the largest municipal clean-air vehicle fleet in the nation,” said Mayor Bloomberg.

‘We will continue to lead by example, but we also must provide New Yorkers with tools to make environmentally friendly choices in their own lives. When provided with the facts, people become far more likely to choose an electric vehicle.

‘Our job is to ensure the public has the facts, ensure they can make their own decisions and ensure that if they want to drive an electric vehicle, we are providing the infrastructure needed.’