High-rise construction in New York City, New York, US. (Image: Adobe Stock)

Sylvie Binder, a policy advisor for the NYC Mayor鈥檚 Office of Climate & Environmental Justice, told Construction Briefing, 鈥淭he end goal is to grow the electric construction equipment market in New York City.鈥�

To gather more information, the city is requesting manufacturers and suppliers of light, medium and heavy electric construction equipment lend their products to the city for a period of about two to six months. During that time, NYC will evaluate the effectiveness of the products in real word conditions.

Vital equipment for the pilot includes (but is not limited to) air compressors, boring machines, concrete mixers, excavators, loaders, skid steers, telehandlers, scissor lifts, forklifts, rollers, concrete trailer pumps, backhoes, cranes, compactors, battery hybrid generators, mixers, and dump trucks.

鈥淲e want to work with companies who are interested in letting us use their equipment and right-sized charging solutions so we can really see how it works under real-world conditions,鈥� Binder said. 鈥淭hat will allow us to plan for a more robust rollout of electric off-road equipment on our projects.鈥�

Why is the NYC pilot programme emphasising electric construction equipment?

Electric-powered equipment is expected to grow an average of 16.6% per year through 2029, growing from 900,000 to 3.6 million units. (Image: Becky Schultz)

The main driver of the project is rooted in sustainability, but 鈥� because electric construction equipment is still emerging as a reliable option 鈥� the pilot will also help the city assess potential kinks in adopting e-machines.

鈥淭he city is committed to electric construction, but the market is still in its early stages. Public-sector procurements and rentals can signal a commitment to expanding this equipment in the region,鈥� Binder said, also noting 鈥渢he machinery we use now puts our residents鈥� health at risk, plus it鈥檚 incredibly loud.鈥�

Paul Rothman, direct of smart cities and IoT at the NYC Mayor鈥檚 Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI), also noted for Construction Briefing that decibel measurement may be vital to the pilot.

鈥淐onstruction noise is among the most common complaints reported to the city,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hile we recognize that construction is inherently loud, we hope that replacing diesel vehicles with electric alternatives will enable worksites to operate more quietly.鈥�

Who can contribute to the pilot and what are the incentives?

Caterpillar鈥檚 first fully electric wheel loader - CAT 906e (Photo: Zeppelin Rental)

The pilot is operating as temporary donation: that is, participating companies are not compensated by the city for the use of their equipment.

鈥淗owever, OTI and our agency partners handle the administrative workload while supporting vendors in completing the contracting requirements (proof-of-concept agreements and technology review by NYC Cyber Command).

鈥淲e also project manage the pilot, obtain access to assets to deploy the technology, support the installation process where possible, and create new relationships with agencies and vendors.

鈥淎dditionally, we design the pilots to be small and contained, ensuring companies are not incurring significant costs while still demonstrating their efficacy.鈥�

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The city also operates the NYC Smart City Testbed Program, which similarly asks corporations to donate site space for technologically innovative building processes.

鈥淪ince the Testbed Program launched in October 2023, we鈥檝e offered a unique opportunity for smart city solutions to demonstrate their efficacy in the nation鈥檚 largest city with some of the most highly sought-after city infrastructure. Although the pilots are not funded directly, the participants receive valuable in-kind support.

鈥淣ew York City frequently evaluates potential technology purchases using proof-of-concept agreements. Similar to the Testbed Program, these agreements allow for a demonstration of functionality within existing city contexts before adoption and payment.鈥�

Rothman likened the pilot programme to a test drive.

鈥淲hen buying a car, you want to ensure it runs well and fits your lifestyle before signing the paperwork. Similarly, when it comes to taxpayer dollars, New York City is responsible for investing in technology solutions that will meaningfully contribute to a safer, greener, and more livable city.鈥�

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Binder added that participants can derive value from applying their own research and development goals onto the pilot.

鈥淲e have been in communication with equipment companies, conducting research on market availability, [and] through this it鈥檚 become clear that this opportunity should spur significant engagement with the industry.

鈥淲e heard many companies are willing to work with us 鈥� essentially, we all know that if we can solve for this challenge this in New York City, we can do it anywhere!鈥�

Additional details on NYC鈥檚 Clean Construction Innovation Pilot

John Deere鈥檚 310 X-Tier E-Power Backhoe Loader (Image: Becky Schultz)

An informal webinar will be held 20 February with finalists selected in April.

Interested parties must submit a proposal to the city by 10 March.

鈥淧iloting innovative sustainability solutions is a tried-and-true way for municipalities to take the lead on climate, especially in our own operations,鈥� concluded Binder. 鈥淣ew York City has successfully shown the benefits of this strategy in the past, through implementing bespoke heat pumps at our public housing buildings.

鈥淭his pilot allows us to iterate on that strategy to grow the market in another sector. Working to find locations where we can implement the solutions we need, right sized to our projects, allows us to truly understand the intricacies of modernizing construction sites, sending a strong market signal that New York City is serious about electrification.鈥�

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