Electrification and Hybridization of Columbia Fleet

Columbia Owned Vehicles

Columbia’s campus is compact, which means that the University can operate with significantly fewer vehicles than most other universities. Columbia has a fleet of about 55 vehicles which are used by Facilities, Athletics, Public Safety, Transportation and Mail departments. As vehicles retire, Columbia replaces them with hybrid or electric vehicles whenever possible. Currently, about 40% of Columbia’s fleet is made up of hybrid or 100% electric vehicles.

Many of Columbia’s intercampus shuttle buses are electric. In 2018, Columbia made the decision to acquire six-battery electric buses to operate on its shuttle routes. The buses were among the first electric buses to operate in NYC, and have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 70% compared to the diesel buses they replaced.

Read Columbia’s vehicle acquisition policy that outlines the standards for purchasing vehicles with lower environmental impacts.