A new fast-charging station is scheduled to open at White Plains Road Municipal Field in November.
Courtesy of NYC DOT
Drivers in the Bronx will have better access to electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging stations this fall.
Construction on a public electric vehicle fast-charging station on White Plains Road is scheduled to be completed in November, New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced Thursday.
The new station is being built at a time when the Bronx has the fewest number of fast chargers of all five boroughs, according to city data. Because the Bronx is home to a high concentration of licensed taxi and limousine drivers, the city is taking steps to use the station to close the charging gap between the borough and the rest of NYC.
The city is also completing construction of a fast-charging station in Brooklyn’s Bensonhurst neighborhood, which is scheduled to open early next year.
“As a former taxi driver, I know how important equity in access is to our efforts to transition for-hire vehicles away from fossil fuels,” Rodriguez said. “By focusing on the Bronx and South Brooklyn neighborhoods, where many taxi drivers live, we can better meet the growing demand for more fast-charging stations while also advancing our ambitious climate goals.”
The Bronx site, east of Bronx River Parkway and south of Pelham Parkway, will have four fast chargers that will allow drivers – including the public – to charge electric vehicles to 80% in an hour or less. There will also be four Level 2 chargers that can charge most electric vehicles in 6 to 8 hours.
According to a DOT spokesperson, all DOT fast chargers cost 39 cents per kW of electricity used, and drivers with TLC licenses are eligible for a 15% discount.
“New York City is making great strides in developing electric vehicle fast-charging infrastructure, and this initiative will significantly improve access for rideshare drivers and residents across all five boroughs,” said Justin E. Driscoll, president and CEO of the New York Power Authority (NYPA), in a statement.
The city has invested in providing charging stations to New Yorkers through partnerships with NYPA and ConEd. However, the Bronx’s high-speed charging infrastructure lags behind that of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.
Improved access in the Bronx and outer boroughs, where many licensed taxi and limousine drivers live, will be critical to meeting the goals of Mayor Eric Adams’ Green Rides Initiative, which calls for 100% zero-emission or wheelchair-accessible rideshare rides by 2030.
The city’s goal is for all New Yorkers to live within 2.5 miles of a fast-charging station by 2035. Today, 71% of New Yorkers live that close to a fast-charging station.
The number of electric vehicles in the city and across the state continues to grow. As of July 2024, there were 62,192 electric vehicles registered in New York City, representing 26% of all electric vehicles registered statewide.
