EV charger in the Bronx. Photo: NYC DOT
New York City is going to install 600 new curbside EV charging points across all five boroughs, expanding its network from just 88 Level 2 ports to nearly 700.
The New York City Department of Transportation will roll out the new chargers over the next three years as part of its PlugNYC network. The city currently operates just 88 curbside Level 2 charging points, so the expansion will bring the total to nearly 700.
The first proposed locations are in Soundview and Unionport in the Bronx; Rego Park, Forest Hills, and Far Rockaway in Queens; Red Hook, Carroll Gardens, and Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn; the Upper West Side and Washington Heights in Manhattan; and Stapleton on Staten Island. More neighborhoods will follow.
NYC DOT has launched an online portal where residents can comment on the proposed sites. The agency will prioritize densely populated neighborhoods with limited off-street parking, along with areas where many taxi and rideshare drivers live.
That’s important in a city where half of car owners park on the street. Without access to home charging, owning an EV can mean regularly driving elsewhere and waiting for a public charger to become available.
“For the transportation sector, our main goal is making it easier and more affordable for New Yorkers to walk, bike, and take transit. But for those who still drive, we need to dramatically accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles,” said NYC DOT commissioner Mike Flynn.
Demand for the city’s existing curbside chargers is already high. NYC DOT says the 88 charging points are occupied by an EV more than 70% of the time, with some approaching 99%. Four of the five busiest stations are in Upper Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens – areas with large numbers of Taxi and Limousine Commission-licensed drivers.
EVs currently account for 8.3% of new vehicle registrations in New York City. Taxi and rideshare drivers alone are now completing around 3 million electric trips each month, according to the city.
Each new PlugNYC-branded charging station will have at least two posts, each with two charging points, for a minimum of four charging points per site. Only EVs that are actively charging will be allowed to park in the designated spaces.
Drivers will be able to pay by tapping a credit card or using one of several apps. The price per kilowatt-hour hasn’t been set yet, but NYC DOT says it will control pricing and aim to keep charging affordable while encouraging drivers to move their cars once charging is complete.
The New York Power Authority will procure the charging equipment and construction contractors, while NYC DOT will oversee the network through an operations and maintenance contract.
Where possible, the city will also install electrical connections to support e-bike charging cabinets, electrified bike-share docks, cargo bike charging, or secure bike parking. The “dig once” approach is intended to avoid having to tear up the curb again if those services are added.
The curbside expansion is part of a wider charging buildout that also includes 92 fast-charging points and 180 Level 2 charging points at city-owned parking lots and garages. Construction at several of those locations is already underway or complete.
Read more: EVgo-branded Tesla Superchargers are coming
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