Downtown Middletown in the Mid-Hudson Region New York has just received the first open-access electric vehicle (EV) fast chargers thanks to the New York Power Authority (NYPA) and the Department of State (DOS). Part of NYPA’s EVolve NY high-speed charging network initiative, the two-charger hub adds another charging site to the Hudson Valley.
Six cities take part in the State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), including Middletown, which aims to make EV driving a more accessible option for local residents and travelers from other states. The DRIve EV Downtown initiative is a collaboration between NYPA and DOS.
The new charging station is located across from the Paramount Theatre in the South Street parking lot. The chargers are part of the EVolveNY fast-charging network which is trying to make it easy to own and operate an EV in New York State and reduce the carbon footprint of the state’s transportation sector. So far, more than 100 high-speed chargers are currently operational across New York State on the EVolve NY network.
“NYPA’s fast, affordable and reliable charging network is helping New Yorkers drive electric and recognize the benefits of a cleaner and more efficient transportation system,” said NYPA Interim President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll. “This hub, in the central business district, is a great place for residents without a place to charge at home or for folks traveling to park, charge and enjoy the downtown.”
Check out all of EVolve NY’s upcoming EV fast-charging sites here, or here:
“Sustainable infrastructure is an important building block for downtown revitalization,“ said Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez. “These EV charging stations are the perfect complement to the impressive array of projects completed by Middletown through the DRI. DOS and NYPA have forged a productive partnership that will continue to equip our downtowns with clean, climate-friendly infrastructure throughout the State.”
Middletown’s two Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFC) have the ability to charge most EV batteries in as little as 20 minutes. There are also charging stations that are part of the Shell Recharge network which have CCS fast-charging connectors rated at up to 150 kW and a CHAdeMO connector rated at up to 100 kW. The Shell Recharge Network can charge all EVs, including Tesla for owners who have an adapter.
“The DRI award was instrumental in downtown Middletown’s revitalization efforts. We were determined to incorporate green infrastructure into our parking improvement projects and the Erie Way Park Project,” said City of Middletown Mayor Joseph M. DeStefano. “Installing these electric chargers is a way to build upon the City’s commitment to greener technologies that are beneficial for the environment and reduce pollution. We are thankful that the State and the Governor made this commitment to expand electric vehicle charging, which will encourage more electric vehicles on the road by increasing accessibility.”
Some of the other Downtown Revitalization Initiative locations that have included EV fast charging are Amsterdam (Montgomery County), Geneva (Ontario County), Riverhead (Suffolk County), Utica (Mohawk Valley), and Oswego (Oswego County).
Orange & Rockland (O&R) President and CEO Robert Sanchez said, “We’re excited to help as many of our customers as possible enjoy the healthy, low carbon, clean energy ride electric vehicles (EVs) offer. O&R’s PowerReady Program (PRP) was created to support the increasing demand for EVs with incentives for developing more charger installations like the one NYPA built here. PRP incentives funded 100 percent of the work needed to bring power to NYPA’s EV chargers in this installation.”
According to the U.S. Dept. of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center, New York has 1,071 public fast chargers at 251 locations the charging speeds can range from 25 kW to 350 kW and over 600 of the 1071 chargers are Tesla-only chargers.
EV owners can locate public chargers using smartphone apps such as Shell Recharge, Electrify America, PlugShare, ChargeHub, ChargeWay, EV Connect, ChargePoint, Google Maps, or the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center.
Image courtesy of New York Power Authority.
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