How NYC Parks Are Going Greener With BMW i3

Bmw I3
The ‘green’ fleet of BMW i3s helping New Yorkers count trees. Credit: Scott Gries/Invision for BMW of North America/AP Images

BMW donates electric vehicles to NYC Parks Department.

BMW of North America donated 20 BMW i3 electric vehicles to the NYC Parks Department to help with the TreesCount! 2015 census.

The BMW i3 cars are being used throughout the five boroughs to map the city’s street trees – without contributing to the carbon footprint.

Bmw I3
Yes, a tree grows in Brooklyn: a Prospect Park tree. Credit: Judy Antell for AGirlsGuidetoCars

The all electric BMW i3 debuted in 2014, and the electric vehicle can go about 81 miles on a charge, enough to get it around the city easily. The car recharges fully in about three and a half hours.

Trees Count! 2015 asks for each “voluntreer” to help in its campaign to map and catalogue every street tree on every block in New York City. Previous tree counts in 1995 and 2005 found detailed information about street trees and helped the parks department create tree maintenance schedules and remove dead street trees.

There are over 600,000 street trees in New York City, and the BMW i3 will help some of them get the TLC they need.

Judy Antell
Judy Antell

Judy Antell, who is TravelingMom.com's Free in 50 States editor, lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn, with her husband and three daughters. Between road trips to visit colleges, travel sports and seeing East Coast sights, she spends a lot of time on the road for a city girl.

Articles: 278