NYC to Add 600 Curbside EV Charging Points Across Five Boroughs

New York City is planning a major expansion of its curbside electric vehicle charging network, with 600 new charging points expected to be installed across all five boroughs over the next three years.

The New York City Department of Transportation has also launched an online portal allowing residents to provide feedback on proposed charging locations. The expansion is part of the agency’s PlugNYC network, which currently has 88 Level 2 curbside charging points. Once completed, the network will have nearly 700 charging points citywide. 

The first neighborhoods targeted for new chargers include 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. Additional locations are expected to be announced. 

Locations are being selected based on factors including residential density, limited access to off-street parking and concentrations of Taxi and Limousine Commission-licensed drivers. The city is also prioritizing low- and moderate-income neighborhoods where private charging companies have made fewer investments.

Each charging station will have at least two charger posts with two charging points apiece, providing four charging points per site. Some locations could also include electrical connections for e-bike charging, electrified bike-share docks, secure bicycle parking or cargo-bike charging. 

In addition to the 600 curbside charging points, NYC DOT is investing in 92 new fast-charging points and 180 Level 2 charging points at city-owned municipal parking lots and garages. Construction at a number of those locations is already underway or complete. 

Only electric vehicles that are actively plugged into a charger will be permitted to park in designated curbside charging spaces. Vehicles occupying those spaces without being connected to a charger will be subject to enforcement.