DCAS – Deborah Halla – 2021

Goals

With an aggressive timeline and an expansive vision that includes not only off-road vehicles but also aircraft, DCAS tasked Deborah Halla with assisting in:

1. Evaluating funding opportunities for electrification efforts;
2. Identifying repower vendors, determining offerings and capabilities, and making recommendations for vehicles that could be converted;
3. Evaluating the risks and benefits of electric helicopters; and
4. Evaluating charging equipment hardware and networking options to determine capabilities in regards to interoperability, cybersecurity, and resiliency.

Solutions

Halla tackled the challenge by:

1. Identifying potential funds and initiating a process to resolve barriers to access;
2. Creating a matrix of vendors by vehicle class and their vehicle offering as well as engaging in initial calls with vendors to determine which NYC vehicles would be best suited for repower;
3. Preparing a comprehensive report addressing NY City Council questions regarding the benefits, risks, and costs associated with electric aircraft in response to City Council interest; and
4. Creating matrix of current electric vehicle service equipment (EVSE) hardware and network providers along with short-, mid-, and long-term recommendation to address issues associated with EVSE interoperability, cybersecurity, and resiliency.

Potential Impact

Using the results of the analyses performed, Halla:

1. Identified $2.5M in potential funding for NYC’s repowering efforts and outlined the steps required to actualize those funds;
2. Helped streamline process for identifying which of NYC’s thousands of medium- and heavy-duty vehicle (MHDV) were suitable for repower to battery electric as well as researched potential and appropriate vendors to perform those conversions;
3. Answered initial questions and identified sources based on a proposed NY City Council law in regards to the progress and potential of electric aircraft; and
4. Provided concrete recommendations to continue building towards increased EVSE resiliency and emergency preparedness.