New York State has announced initiatives to encourage the purchase and increase the convenience and accessibility of electric vehicles (EVs).
EVolve NY to Install Charging Stations along Major Corridors and JFK Airport
In the initial rollout of its $250 million EVolve NY initiative, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) will deploy up to 200 150 kW, direct-current (DC) fast chargers, enabling drivers to charge in 20 minutes, to more than two dozen locations along major traffic corridors, John F. Kennedy International Airport and five major cities. EVolve NY is a pillar of New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s Charge NY 2.0 initiative, which encourages EV adoption to bring the state closer to its goal of installing at least 10,000 charging stations by the end of 2021.
NYPA has identified the first 32 locations and is finalizing specific site details with the vendors that will provide and install the charging equipment. EVolve NY will target four 150 kW chargers per location at average intervals of less than 75 miles along New York’s major corridors. Target corridor locations include Plattsburgh, Watertown and North Hudson in the North Country; Rochester in the Finger Lakes region; Buffalo and Niagara in Western New York; Middletown in Mid-Hudson; Corning and Binghamton in the Southern Tier; and Islip and Freeport in Long Island. The first fast chargers to be installed through the EVolve NY program are targeted to begin construction in spring 2019 along priority travel corridors with high traffic volumes from Buffalo to Montauk and from Long Island to Canada.
The cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany and Yonkers have been identified as sites for urban hubs, and high-speed chargers are expected to be installed at approximately 15 service areas along the New York State Thruway. JFK Airport will get its first high-speed charging hub, consisting of 10 150 kW fast chargers to cater to both private and rideshare drivers.
“NYPA is set to launch the far-reaching EVolve NY initiative, which will aggressively accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles throughout New York State,” says Gil C. Quiniones, president and CEO of NYPA. “Addressing infrastructure barriers is key if we want people to step into EV ownership with confidence, recognize that lower-emission electric vehicles are affordable, accessible and fun to drive, and understand they’ll be able to drive across the state without having to worry about recharging.”
Lower Residential EV Charging Rates
The Public Service Commission has acted to allow residential customers, through time-of-use rates, to charge their vehicles during off-peak hours without the risk that they will pay more than standard rates.
Time-of-use rate structures better align the price of delivering energy with the cost associated with delivering the energy at the time it is used. For plug-in vehicles to provide the most benefit to a utility’s system, the additional electricity consumption must not coincide with peak periods of electricity demand.
“We know that electric vehicles are becoming more relevant in the marketplace, which is in line with New York State’s climate policies,” notes John B. Rhodes, chairman of the Public Service Commission. “Now is the time to align our electric rates to encourage charging at optimal times for the grid. Charging electric vehicles at night is smart as it not only saves electric vehicle owners money on their electric bill, it helps utilities better manage the grid.”
Further, the Drive Clean Rebate is part of New York State’s overall clean transportation strategy to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, and it supports the governor’s Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) plan to build a clean, resilient and affordable energy system. To date, more than 11,000 rebates have been approved for New Yorkers to purchase electric cars. Since the start of the Drive Clean Rebate, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), which administers the initiative, has approved more than $15 million in rebates for New Yorkers.
The Drive Clean Rebate initiative provides New York residents with a rebate of up to $2,000 for the purchase or lease of a new electric car from participating dealers. More than 40 different types of EVs are available under the initiative.
Most recently, in September, the governor announced that $5 million would be available for installations at apartment buildings, workplaces, malls and other locations under Charge Ready NY. Charge Ready NY rebates can be combined with New York State’s 50% tax credit for installing charging stations.
“Today’s announcement reaffirms Governor Cuomo’s commitment to providing cleaner, more cost-effective transportation alternatives to New Yorkers as part of the state’s efforts to make consumers more aware of the choices available today in clean energy solutions and technologies,” adds Alicia Barton, president and CEO of NYSERDA. “New York’s comprehensive approach to building a statewide electric vehicle infrastructure continues to increase consumer confidence in going electric while enabling the state to cut is carbon footprint and protect our communities and environment.”