New York City Plans Major Expansion Of EV Charging Stations

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Yesterday, New York governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation banning the sale of many passenger cars and light duty trucks with internal combustion engines by 2035, which is in line with a similar law in California. That’s fine and dandy, of course, but many CleanTechnica readers would prefer a more ambitious timeline for the ban to take effect.

The state of New York has one major city, and people who live there might like to join the EV revolution, but few live in single-family homes with garages where they can install an EV charger. The vast majority live in apartments, condos, or co-ops where they do not have access to charging equipment. Many more have to park on the street and play parking ticket roulette twice a week when the street sweepers are in the neighborhood.

But there may be an answer to the EV charging dilemma in New York City. According to Staten Island Live, New York City will create one of the country’s largest electric vehicle charging networks over the next 10 years in an effort to reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change. The plan was released the day after the governor’s announcement about an internal combustion engine ban.

In a statement, Hank Gutman, the head of the city’s Department of Transportation, said, “With the climate crisis upon us, it’s time to plan bigger about how New York City can dramatically accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles. With major federal investments in EV charging on the horizon, our plan lays the groundwork for a network of tens of thousands of public EV chargers equitably distributed across the city, enabling many more car owners to go electric.” Those federal funds haven’t been approved yet and if Repugnicans have any say in the matter, they won’t be anytime soon, so Gutman’s enthusiasm may need to be tempered a little bit.

New York City itself has a plan to be carbon neutral by 2050 (too late, but let’s not quibble), and in order to reach that goal it will need 400,000 electric vehicles on the city’s streets by 2030. To make that happen, it is essential those EV drivers have access to enough chargers to meet their needs. To get there, the city plans on installing 40,000 public Level 2 chargers and 6,000 DC fast chargers throughout the city by 2030. All municipal parking lots and garages will have 20% of their parking spots equipped with L2 chargers by 2025, and 40% by 2030. In addition, the DOT will also install 1,000 curbside charging stations throughout the five boroughs by 2025, with that number increasing to 10,000 curbside charging stations by 2030.

City officials will develop a plan for Level 2 and Level 1 user-supplied cord charging systems that integrate with existing street infrastructure (street lights?) and will launch electric vehicle public awareness campaigns through its PlugNYC program. In addition, it will work with electric vehicle stakeholders to better understand the needs of the market and work with regulators and utility companies to help facilitate the installation of charging infrastructure.

“The Electrifying New York plan, including its ambitious vision for a new network of public EV chargers, will play a key role in reducing climate changing greenhouse gases, lowering the risk of respiratory illnesses, reducing noise, and ending our reliance on fossil fuels,” says Ben Furnas, director of the mayor’s Office of Climate and Sustainability.

Use of the electric vehicle chargers will be limited to 60 minutes per vehicle and payment will be handled by ChargePoint using its smartphone app. Pricing will be $0.30 per kWh on weekdays from 8am until 10pm and $0.25 for all other times. Consolidated Edison will provide the electricity.

This is really good news for New York City drivers who want to own an electric car. The key to the EV revolution for those who don’t live in suburbia will be access to a comprehensive network of vehicle chargers. Start spreading the news. NY, NY has got its eye firmly on the EV future.


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Steve Hanley

Steve writes about the interface between technology and sustainability from his home in Florida or anywhere else The Force may lead him. He is proud to be "woke" and doesn't really give a damn why the glass broke. He believes passionately in what Socrates said 3000 years ago: "The secret to change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new." You can follow him on Substack and LinkedIn but not on Fakebook or any social media platforms controlled by narcissistic yahoos.

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