More electric vehicle charging stations open in New York City as more drivers steer away from gasoline
NEW YORK -- Electric cars are becoming less expensive and more popular. People who buy them feel good about reducing emissions and being less reliant on gas.
One of the challenges for New Yorkers is finding EV charging stations in the city. But, as CBS2's Dave Carlin reported Thursday, there's a program to create more.
Electric car owners in New York City are buzzing as they notice more places to charge. But many more are needed.
"More people buy them, the more infrastructure you get," one woman said.
"There's not enough chargers out there and the ones that are out there sometimes are not working," said Roy Rada, curbside charging project manager at Con Edison.
Rada's job is to be part of the solution. His team partnered on a pilot program with the New York City Department of Transportation.
An internet ad shows the push that just added a 100th location for curbside charging. One is in Ocean Breeze, Staten Island at the corner of Mason and Seaview Avenues.
"We're a year in now. The utilization has been huge, so DOT is already talking about targeting a thousand by 2025 and as many as 10,000 by 2030," Rada said.
The current estimate is 32,000 registered electric vehicles in New York City and Westchester County, according to Con Edison.
For the growing number of vehicles, charging is often found included with the price of parking in some underground Manhattan garages. But that can get pricey.
The curbside locations are more affordable with prices at $2.50 per hour during the day and $1 per hour overnight. That can mean approximately $20 for a full charge, which is a lot less than a tank of gas.
New York state has not gone as far as California in terms of mandating electric vehicle ownership, but Rada says that may be coming.
"For example, school buses are going to be fully electric by 2030. They start with the city fleets they control," Rada said.
Rada said there's hope that a $7,500 federal tax credit and many other incentives one day get us to the point when going electric is a no-brainer.
Apps like ChargeHub and Abetterrouteplanner.com list all the charging stations in the U.S. and Canada. Some alert you when new public charging stations open in your area.
