This spring, NYC surpassed the 5,000 mark in plug-in electric vehicles with a new order of Chevy Bolts. DCAS is the US’s largest adopter of the Bolt, with more than 1,000 in operation today, writes Keith Kerman, the Chief Fleet Officer for NYC DCAS.
To celebrate the milestone, DCAS and NYC Public Schools announced the release of an educational short animated video called ‘Batteries Included’. The two-minute video was produced by artists Kaya Sanan and Patricia Kantzos through an MWBE contract. Watch Batteries Included below.
From the halls of the Smithsonian Institute to the corridors of the World Trade Center complex, with media installations spanning three continents, Sanan Media and Patricia Kantzos Photography create films, some with awards, addressing the Earth and the decisions of its inhabitants. One of their notable videos is ‘Question Power,’ produced for the Science Museum of Virginia, which also focuses on education about sustainability.
DCAS Fleet and the Office of Energy and Sustainability at NYC Public Schools developed the video with Kaya and Patricia. The video aims to introduce, educate, and excite school children about electric vehicles. The video is a teaser, presenting the exciting new product of electric cars and displaying the many types of electric vehicles that city agencies are adopting.
As the electric vehicle industry advances, we must educate and explain the benefits and possibilities of electric and zero-emission vehicles to students and the general public. In a fun and offbeat way, this video does just that, teasing the many benefits of this exciting new product and then outlining the ways electric vehicles “outperform the competition.’ The footage also challenges its viewers to take ‘your turn’ in reducing emissions.
Kaya and Patricia extended their thanks to NYC. ‘NYC government paves the road to the next block or borough and, more importantly, to a sustainable future,” states the artists. “As decades-long New Yorkers, we are proud to partner with DCAS and NYC Public Schools on ‘Batteries Included.’ We were truly inspired by the brilliant thinking of the city government that made a huge fleet transitioning to zero emissions seem easy.’
DCAS and DOE have a longstanding partnership to support automotive education. This includes hands-on automotive internships each year at the city garages, the donation of over 30 vehicles and additional engines for automotive students to learn about, the donation of electric cars for DOE driver’s education programs, and fleet safety events.
Last September, DCAS donated 15 electric vehicles to seven automotive high schools, including Al Smith, A-Tech, Tottenville, McKee High School, School of Cooperative Technical Education, Grady, Transit Tech, and Bronx Community College. NY1 discussed the initiative in a story in May 2023.
DCAS and MTA chair the DOE Career and Technical Education Automotive Commission, which aims to connect public and private resources to support the city’s automotive schools. In September 2023, Mayor Adams announced a new partnership with Hertz to further those efforts.
If two minutes wasn’t enough, a four-minute version of Batteries Included was also produced and is available here.
