Yesterday, I had the privilege of meeting Edward Taylor, a local pioneer for cleaner, less oil-dependent transportation. Ed owns Down East Seafood supply company here in New York City. As a seller of fish, Ed relies on healthy, oil-free seas around the world to produce his products. As the growing environmental disaster in the Gulf threatens his business, Ed is taking a step to significantly cut his oil use by switching one of his delivery trucks to run only on electricity.
Ed unveiling his Smith Electric refrigerated delivery truck:
I applaud Mr. Taylor for helping to lead the way to a cleaner future. I was excited to join an event yesterday unveiling the electric truck because the truck provides a clear vision of clean transportation. Plug-in electric vehicles are an important part of the solution to cut our oil dependence and cool the planet. We know we will not get off oil overnight but this electric truck demonstrates that we have technology to start cutting our dangerous oil dependence today. In other words, the United States has a choice – we can choose cleaner, safer alternatives rather than continuing to be stuck with dirty oil.
Fortunately, the Obama Administration is moving forward to adopt the nation’s first-ever carbon pollution and fuel economy standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. Increasing those standards over time will propel more advanced technology hybrid and electric trucks into the on-road fleet, increasing fuel savings and emissions reductions.
We just need to tap into American ingenuity to put more clean vehicles on our roads. The Smith Electric is manufactured in Kansas City, MO, put together by Americans. We need to continue to create American jobs building clean vehicles.
Right now, the Senate has an opportunity to support this effort. They can pass comprehensive clean energy legislation that will create the homegrown jobs essential to creating these homegrown clean energy alternatives.
Ed Taylor’s South Bronx representative in Congress, Representative Jose Serrano, participated in yesterday’s event. Mr. Serrano is working to promote greater use of clean plug-in electric vehicles through his “e-Drive” initiative, which would electrify portions of the U.S. Postal Fleet, a perfect application—like Down East’s— for early adoption of electric vehicles because they rely on predictable urban delivery routes.
The United States has the opportunity to be the world leader in plug-in electric vehicle manufacturing and use. If we capitalize on that opportunity, we can have mobility based on 21st Century technology, we can reduce the pollution hurting our lungs and atmosphere, we can avoid the need for risky drilling rigs pumping dirty oil and we can build a strong base of sustainable jobs.