Mar 19, 2019

EV maintenance costs in NYC run lower than gas-powered cars

Ben Geman

The New York City government's maintenance costs for its electric vehicle fleet were much less per automobile than its gasoline-powered cars, city data released this month shows.

Data: NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services; Chart: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

Why it matters: Municipal and corporate vehicle fleets are a growth area for EVs, and not just for environmental reasons. That's the upshot of the latest edition of a newsletter I'd never seen until yesterday: the NYC Fleet Newsletter from Citywide Administrative Services.

What they're saying: "Right now, servicing costs with our all-electric vehicle models is dramatically less than with gas, hybrid, or hybrid plug-in models," chief fleet officer Keith T. Kerman writes in the newsletter.

  • "In general, our hybrid models also achieve benefits from gas models, though the most dramatic results in this report are with the all electrics," he adds.
  • Kerman notes that with EVs, "oil change, spark plug, and air filter replacement are things of the past."

Check out the chart above, which shows the average 2018 maintenance costs for different models in the city's light-duty fleet. New York has the largest municipal EV fleet in the country, a spokesman said.

H/t to Quartz, which reported on it in more detail yesterday.

Go deeper

Alexi McCammond

Biden bets it all on South Carolina

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Most Joe Biden admirers Axios interviewed in South Carolina, where he's vowed to win today's primary, said they're unfazed by his embarrassing losses in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada.

Why it matters: Biden has bet it all on South Carolina to position himself as the best alternative to Bernie Sanders — his "good buddy," he tells voters before skewering Sanders' record and ideas.

Go deeperArrow1 hour ago - Politics & Policy
Axios

Coronavirus updates: Market ends worst week since financial crisis

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins, the CDC, and China's Health Ministry. Note: China numbers are for the mainland only and U.S. numbers include repatriated citizens.

The stock market ended its worst week since the financial crisis, prompting the Fed to release a statement. Meanwhile, the WHO warned that countries are losing their chance to contain the novel coronavirus and raised its global risk assessment to "very high" Friday.

The big picture: COVID-19 has killed more than 2,860 people and infected more than 84,000 others in over 60 countries and territories outside the epicenter in mainland China. The number of new cases reported outside China now exceed those inside the country.

Go deeperArrowUpdated 12 hours ago - Health
Marisa Fernandez, Orion Rummler

California coronavirus: Latest case has no recent history of international travel

Gov. Gavin Newsom. Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

A new case of the novel coronavirus in California was announced on Friday after Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that 33 people had tested positive for the virus, noting the risk to the public remains low.

What's new: An adult woman with chronic health conditions in Santa Clara County who "did not recently travel overseas" or come into contact with anyone known to be ill was confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus on Friday by CDC and California Department of Public Health officials.

Go deeperArrowUpdated 12 hours ago - Health