In order to enhance the infrastructure of electric vehicles in the city, there are plans to install 700 Level 2 charging stations in curb-side locations across all the five boroughs of New York within the next three years.
The installation of the chargers has been awarded to Brooklyn-based startup It’s Electric. The plan is to ensure that there is a convenient way out for those who live in the city but cannot afford to park their EVs in a garage due to space constraints.
Expanding Access to Curbside Charging
But the availability of chargers remains an issue for many owners of electric vehicles living in urban areas. Although people who have private garages can install their own charging systems, people who park their cars on the streets cannot do anything except for using public charging stations.
Curbside Level 2 chargers serve as an alternative for people who want to charge their vehicles nearby their houses or in parking lots. The idea was already used in various European cities, but it is not yet widespread in major cities in the United States.
New York City currently has 88 curbside chargers as a result of its earlier pilot program. According to the reports of the Department of Transportation of the city, these chargers are widely used – EVs are parked there for 70% of the time, while some chargers have an occupancy rate of up to 99%.
Also, the chargers are powered for about 85% of the time they are occupied.
Focus on Rideshare and Taxi Drivers
It will be an absolute blessing for the number of rideshare and taxi drivers in New York City. It should be known that the government has chosen areas that have a large number of Uber, Lyft, and taxi drivers for this project.
For those drivers who spend hours on the roads, it does not make any sense to drive far to fast-charging stations when they can charge closer to home.
This program is also part of the plans of New York City to convert all rideshare vehicles into electric vehicles by 2030.
A Different Approach to Charger Design
The charging equipment provided by It’s Electric is opposite to traditional charging stands that can be found everywhere. There are just steel poles without the wires fixed to it. Drivers need to use the wires that come with the device from the company.
Moreover, there are no screens nor credit card reader built into these chargers. This allows making these chargers smaller in size.
The company also takes into consideration New York City requirements for installing the equipment in public places.
Using Existing Building Infrastructure
And another characteristic of the future charging infrastructure is the method of connecting the energy. According to It’s Electric, the energy will come from the neighboring buildings, which will help to reduce the costs of the project implementation and make it easier to build.
The chargers will be placed all around the five boroughs; however, there will not be more than two chargers in one block. The hardware will be made in Queens.
It seems to be the best strategy, as the scheme will help to distribute the network across the neighborhoods, rather than to construct charging hubs.
Supporting New York’s EV Transition
Such technology has come about because cities are trying to find ways of integrating the use of electric cars in spite of the shortcomings of using traditional charging stations. The fast charging station gives fast charging but may not be very accessible to city residents who are used to parking their cars along streets.
The level 2 curbside charging is entirely different from this. It provides slow charging in situations whereby drivers would prefer their vehicles to park in the same spot for many hours.
This will make such technology an additional choice of charging for residents of New York who do not have access to their private charging stations.
Conclusion
The plan by the city of New York to install 700 curbside electric vehicle chargers marks a significant boost to the current charging facilities for the community. Through targeting neighborhoods where there are many street parkers and ride share drivers, the plan aims to address some of the problems associated with having electric vehicles in a densely populated city.
In a situation where there are more and more electric vehicles in New York, the infrastructure that will facilitate their charging process will be very important. The performance of the new chargers will depend on different factors.
Frequently Asked Questions
New York City will be installing 700 new curbside Level 2 EV chargers in the coming three years.
These curbside charging stations will cater primarily to the needs of the EV drivers who park their vehicles on the streets as well as pay special attention to the areas that have a high population of taxi and rideshare drivers.
Most New Yorkers stay in apartments and do not have any garages or driveways for installing home-based charging stations. The curbside stations could give them an alternative for charging their electric vehicles in their own neighborhoods.
