The New York Police Department has added 50 Chevrolet Volts to its fleet this week as part of an effort to reduce air pollution, carbon emissions, and gasoline consumption in the city.

The Volt will be the first electric vehicle used by the NYPD, which also uses electric scooters and golf carts, according to the General Motors. The vehicles are part of an effort to reduce air pollution, carbon emissions and gasoline consumption, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced at a press conference earlier this week.

In all, 70 new electric vehicles for police, fire, and sanitation are joining the city's fleet, which now has 430 electric vehicles.

"This is the latest and largest-ever addition of electric vehicles to the city's fleet, which is already the largest municipal clean-air vehicle fleet in the nation," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a press statement. "We will continue to lead by example, but we also must provide New Yorkers with tools to make environmentally friendly choices in their own lives.

For the first 35 miles, the Volt can drive gas- and tailpipe emissions-free using a full charge of electricity stored in its 16-kWh lithium-ion battery. When the Volt's battery runs low, a gas-powered engine takes over to extend the driving range another 344 miles on a full tank. The total driving range is 379 miles.

Funding for the EV program came from a partnership with the New York State Power Authority and from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Each funded part of the difference in cost between the purchase of an EV and a gasoline-powered vehicle. In addition, the U.S. Department of Energy provided a grant to Coulomb Technologies for EV charging stations installed in the city.