Electric Vehicles

There has never been a better time for car owners to go electric. Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming much more affordable, battery range is increasing, and more models are hitting the market.

EVs run at least partially on electric energy. Much like vehicles that run on fossil fuels such as gasoline or diesel, EVs include cars, trucks, and buses. EVs may run entirely or partially on battery power or on electricity generated from a hydrogen fuel cell.

Benefits of EVs

Compared to conventional vehicles, EVs have:

EVs are now broadly available at multiple price points, and there are various tax credits, rebates and other incentives available for EV buyers that can bring down the purchase price.

EVs in NYC

An orange DHL van with a sticker promoting the vehicle as '“100% Electric”' drives along a NYC street.

Transportation is responsible for almost 30% of NYC's greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), with most of these emissions coming from passenger cars. Increasing the number of EVs in the five boroughs is an important part of the city’s effort to achieve net-zero transportation GHG emissions by 2050.

Charging EVs

There are three different charging levels for EVs:

  • Level 1 Charge:
    • Up to 5 miles of range per hour of charging
    • Standard household outlet, Low voltage (120v)
  • Level 2 Charge:
    • Up to 20 miles of range per hour of charging
    • Mid-level voltage (240v), commonly used in large appliances like dryers
  • Level 3 Charge:
    • Over 30 miles of range per 10 minutes of charging
    • Also known as DC Fast Charging, the fastest charging option (over 480v)

New York City is developing PlugNYC, a comprehensive network of publicly accessible Level 2 and DC fast chargers. Level 2 charging stations allow EV owners to charge their vehicles while parked at home, at work, or on the street. DC fast chargers offer a charging experience comparable to a gas station.

Curbside Level 2 Charging Pilot

A white electric vehicle is parked along a curb in the Bronx in a special space reserved for charging electric vehicles. Installed on the sidewalk next to the parked car is a tall pole with “Flo” and “PlugNYC” branding. The pole has two long cables with plugs to charge electric vehicles parked in the curbside spaces.

Charging an EV can be a challenge in New York City. Many people park their cars on the street and do not have access to a home charger. To address this gap, NYC DOT is working with partners to expand access to public EV charging across the five boroughs.

In partnership with Con Edison, NYC installed 100 Level 2 charging ports for the public to use at curbside locations across the five boroughs. The chargers will be in place for four years as part of a demonstration project, which will include an evaluation period. Installation of the Level 2 chargers began in June 2021. Use of the chargers will be managed by FLO.

NYC DOT, with input from Con Edison, selected curbside locations based on projected demand for charging, geographic diversity, and input from local elected officials and community stakeholders. NYC DOT also collected input from the public on where chargers should be installed.

The curbside Level 2 chargers are equipped with a standard SAE J1772 connector that is compatible with most EVs. Tesla owners will be able to use these Level 2 chargers with an adapter that comes with every Tesla vehicle.

EV owners pay for curbside charging on a per hour basis. The cost of charging is competitive with the cost of gasoline for non-EVs. Customers can pay for their charging session by smartphone, or by tapping their credit card. These parking spaces are reserved for actively charging EVs. Vehicles parked in these spaces but not actively charging may be ticketed by NYPD.

Curbside Level 2 Charging Locations:

Curbside Level 2 charging is available at the following locations:

Street
From
To
Chargers
Borough
Bedford Park Boulevard Goulden Avenue Paul Avenue 4 Bronx
Broadway West 242nd Street West 240th Street 4 Bronx
Dekalb Avenue East Gun Hill Road East 212th Street 2 Bronx
Putnam Place East Gun Hill Road Reservoir Oval West 2 Bronx
13th Street 5th Avenue 4th Avenue 2 Brooklyn
3rd Avenue 33rd Street 34th Street 6 Brooklyn
43rd Street 5th Avenue 4th Avenue 4 Brooklyn
8th Street 6th Avenue 7th Avenue 2 Brooklyn
Brooklyn Avenue St. Marks Avenue Prospect Place 2 Brooklyn
Clarkson Avenue 40th Street Albany Avenue 4 Brooklyn
Court Street 1st Place Carroll Street 2 Brooklyn
Elton Street Flatlands Avenue Locke Street 4 Brooklyn
Lenox Road New York Avenue East 34th Street 4 Brooklyn
Linden Boulevard East 96th Street Rockaway Parkway 2 Brooklyn
Marcus Garvey Boulevard Broadway Park Avenue 2 Brooklyn
Meeker Avenue Metropolitan Avenue Rodney Street 6 Brooklyn
Norman Avenue Dobbin Street Guernsey Street 4 Brooklyn
North 4th Street Bedford Avenue Berry Street 4 Brooklyn
Prospect Park West 5th Street 6th Street 2 Brooklyn
Stuyvesant Avenue Fulton Street Chauncey Street 2 Brooklyn
East 67th Street York Avenue 1st Avenue 2 Manhattan
East 78th Street Park Avenue Lexington Avenue 2 Manhattan
East End Avenue East 88th Street East 87th Street 2 Manhattan
Fort Washington Avenue West 164th Street West 165th Street 2 Manhattan
West 76th Street Amsterdam Avenue Columbus Avenue 2 Manhattan
West 84th Street Amsterdam Avenue Columbus Avenue 2 Manhattan
West 93rd Street Central Park West Columbus Avenue 2 Manhattan
225th Street Merrick Boulevard 135th Avenue 2 Queens
33rd Street 31st Avenue Broadway 2 Queens
35th Street 30th Avenue 31st Avenue 2 Queens
38th Street 36th Avenue 35th Avenue 4 Queens
41st Avenue 81st Street Baxter Avenue 2 Queens
72nd Street 37th Avenue 35th Avenue 2 Queens
Queens Boulevard 34th Street 33rd Street 4 Queens
Mason Avenue Seaview Avenue Delaware Avenue 4 Staten Island

DC Fast Charger Program

A white Department of Transportation vehicle is parked in a municipal garage and plugged into a DC fast charging station.

NYC DOT is building a network of fast charging hubs across the city. The city operates three DC fast charging hubs at city-owned public parking facilities:

  • Court Square Municipal Parking Garage in Queens
  • Queens Borough Hall Municipal Parking Garage in Queens
  • Delancey/Essex Municipal Parking Garage in Manhattan

We are working with the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to create up to 13 additional EV fast-charging hubs at municipal parking facilities across the city, featuring roughly 50 fast-charging plugs.

How it works:

  • An EV driver parks in a DC fast charger space
  • The driver may begin their charging session via the EV Connect App or by swiping or tapping their credit or debit card on the charger
  • The driver plugs in their vehicle
  • The app will notify the driver when the vehicle's battery is 80% charged (depending on the vehicle, this may take 30 to 60 minutes)

Notes: Every NYC DOT fast charger has CHAdeMO and CCS connectors, which are compatible with most EVs. Tesla owners will be able to use the fast chargers with Tesla’s CCS Combo 1 adapter.

The fee to charge is $0.39 per kWh consumed. Drivers must pay for parking at the municipal lots. DC fast charger customers will have the cost of the first hour of parking deducted from their charging session.

DC Fast Charger FAQ (pdf)

Map of EV Charging Stations

Two electric vehicles are parked inside a municipal lot, plugged into EV chargers.

Some NYC DOT municipal parking facilities offer Level 2 charging stations. Additional fees apply for charging your vehicle, please review rates before parking and charging.

  • Jerome – 190th Street Municipal Parking Garage, Bronx: 5 EV charging spaces
  • Jerome-Gun Hill Road Municipal Parking Garage, Bronx: 4 EV charging spaces
  • Bay Ridge Municipal Parking Garage, Brooklyn: 5 EV charging spaces
  • Delancey and Essex Municipal Parking Garage, Manhattan: 13 EV charging spaces
  • Court Square Municipal Parking Garage, Queens: 13 EV charging spaces
  • Queens Family Court Municipal Parking Garage, Queens: 3 EV charging stations
  • Queensboro Hall Municipal Parking Field, Queens: 4 EV charging spaces
  • Queens Borough Hall Municipal Parking Garage: 34 EV charging spaces
  • Staten Island Courthouse Garage and Parking Lot, Staten Island: 5 EV charging spaces

Find a place to plug in your EV with NYSERDA's Electric Vehicle Station Locator

Loading alternative fueling station locator...

 

Presentations

Reports

Curbside Level 2 EV Charging Pilot: Evaluation Report

NYC DOT’s Evaluation Report for the first eighteen months of its Curbside Level 2 EV Charging Pilot provides one of the first comprehensive evaluations of a curbside Level 2 EV charging program in the world. By benchmarking usage patterns and performance, this report provides valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders in major cities. Overall, charger performance in the first eighteen months exceeded initial expectations. The data in this report demonstrate that:

  • Curbside Level 2 charging can fill an immediate charging need in areas with above average EV adoption and limited off-street parking.
  • Curbside Level 2 charging in areas with lower EV adoption can increase charging access equity; utilization will be lower in these areas in the near to medium term.
  • Curbside Level 2 charging is operationally feasible: Properly designed and maintained curbside chargers can achieve a high uptime performance in New York City.
  • Blocked charger spaces will likely remain a problem but present more of an inconvenience to users than a fundamental challenge to program effectiveness.

Curbside Level 2 EV Charging Pilot: Evaluation Report

Electrifying New York Report

Electrifying New York: An Electric Vehicle Vision Plan for New York City lays out eight initiatives to dramatically expand access to public charging across the five boroughs. These actions represent a significant commitment to the city’s EV future. Together, they can make New York City a national leader in preparing for the EV transition.

  1. Growing the city-operated fast charging network to over 80 plugs by 2025.
  2. Equipping 20 percent of all spaces in municipal public parking lots and garages with Level 2 chargers by 2025, increasing to 40 percent by 2030.
  3. Creating a network of 1,000 curbside charge points across the five boroughs by 2025, increasing to 10,000 by 2030.
  4. Developing a plan for a Level 2 and Level 1 user-supplied cord charging system that integrates with existing street infrastructure.
  5. Advocating for funding and supportive policies from the federal government.
  6. Working with utilities and regulators to make it easier and cheaper to install EV chargers.
  7. Engaging with EV stakeholders to better understand evolving EV market, technology, and charging needs through an industry day.
  8. Increasing public awareness of EVs and charging opportunities through the PlugNYC marketing program.

Electrifying New York: An Electric Vehicle Vision Plan for New York City Electrifying New York: An Electric Vehicle Vision Plan for New York City (text only)

Additional Reports

NYSERDA's Curb Enthusiasm: Report for On-Street Electric Vehicle Charging (pdf)