255 subsidized electric shuttle vans for NYC fleet operators
Dollaride is accepting applications under the NYSERDA-funded Clean Transit Access Program (CTAP). Round 1 places 255 battery-electric vehicles with qualified New York City operators serving disadvantaged communities — leased with no down payment, with optional charging and parking on preferential terms.
Allocation is first-qualified. Once Round 1 is fully subscribed, qualified applicants are placed on a waitlist in order of submission — so submission timing matters.
Savings figures are the RFA's own Section 2 estimates, for comparison purposes only. Actual costs vary by vehicle configuration.
A vehicle, and the infrastructure around it
CTAP is not a cash grant. Dollaride purchases the vehicles, holds title, and leases them to awardees — with the NYSERDA incentive already applied in the lease rate.
Battery-electric vehicle lease
Vehicles selected from the Round 1 inventory — Ford E-Transit 350 configurations from 9- to 12-passenger, including wheelchair-accessible (WAV) and stretcher-equipped models. Other passenger EV models may also be eligible.
Telematics
A telematics platform on every vehicle, supporting route and operations optimization from day one.
NYSERDA compliance administration
Dollaride handles program reporting to NYSERDA on the awardee's behalf for the full term.
Charging access
Access to the CTAP charging network in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens on preferential terms — or keep your own charging arrangement.
Parking
Parking at your existing site, lawful street or home parking, or potential CTAP program parking dedicated to the awardee.
Ownership pathway
Three tracks: standard operating lease, lease-to-own, or financing through your own dealer or lender. Details below.
A three-minute self-screen
Eligibility is pass/fail. Run this check before you invest time in the application.
- Your company — not your drivers — holds operating authority in its own name. NYSDOT authority, a NYC TLC base or operating license, or other applicable authority.
- You operate a regular passenger transportation service in New York City.
- You serve disadvantaged communities in New York City.
- You're requesting battery-electric vehicles. Plug-in hybrids and conventional hybrids are not eligible.
- You have real demand behind the request — existing recurring service, executed contracts, or broker volume sufficient to support the vehicles.
- You can identify where the vehicles will be domiciled and a viable charging pathway — yours or the program's.
Full eligibility criteria, including financing readiness requirements and the eligible vehicle price band, are in Section 4 of the RFA.
The Round 1 timeline
The September 8 notification date is a published commitment, not an estimate. Every applicant hears back, with the reason stated.
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| Tue, Aug 11, 2026 | RFA issued |
| Mon, Aug 17, 2026 | Written questions due — 5:00 PM ET, to the designated contact |
| Fri, Aug 21, 2026 | Consolidated Q&A published to all registered applicants |
| Mon, Aug 31, 2026 | Application deadline — 5:00 PM ET |
| Tue, Sep 8, 2026 | Eligibility screen complete; every applicant notified of their outcome |
| Fri, Sep 11, 2026 | Conditional Allocation Letters issued |
| Wed, Sep 30, 2026 | MSA execution deadline — unexecuted allocations return to the pool |
Four steps to a complete application
Download and read the RFA
Part One covers the program, economics, and what you're signing up for. Part Two holds the eligibility criteria and the three application forms.
Register as an applicant
Send a quick email to RFA@dollaride.com letting us know you plan to apply. That puts you on the list to receive the published Q&A and any official updates to the RFA.
Complete Forms A, B, and C
Self-reported, no attachments. Give Form B.3 — the unit-level vehicle replacement schedule — your best attention: it carries more scoring weight than any other part of the application. If a field doesn't apply, write "N/A" rather than leaving it blank.
Submit by email before the deadline
Send your completed forms to RFA@dollaride.com with "RFA-CTAP-2026-01 — [Company Name]" in the subject line, by Monday, August 31, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET.
Eligible applications are scored on four weighted criteria. The heaviest is near-term replacement timing: which of your specific vehicles age out in the next six to twelve months.
Three tracks. Your pick on the form.
Operating lease
CTAP purchases the vehicle and holds title. You lease for the term; the vehicle returns at the end.
Lease-to-own
As Track A, plus a fixed-price purchase option exercisable at the end of the base lease term.
Capital partnership
Keep your dealer or lender. They finance the vehicle through the program entity, the incentive still attaches, and you get a lower monthly payment than the same lender could offer you directly.
Not sure which fits? "Undecided — want to discuss" is a real option on the form.
Get answers on the record
Written questions are due Monday, August 17, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET. Every question is answered in the consolidated Q&A, published August 21 to all registered applicants — so other operators' questions may answer yours.
All questions, clarifications, and submissions go to the designated contact only. Responses from any other Dollaride representative are informal and not binding on this solicitation.
The application is three forms. The deadline is August 31.
No certificates, no financial statements, no attachments — those come only after award. Download the RFA, walk your lot, and get your application in.