NY to Install EV Charging Stations at Major Commuter Lots

We’ve mentioned “range anxiety” a ton on this site, and for good reason – taken as a whole, it’s probably the single biggest reason electric vehicles aren’t more mainstream. New York State just chipped away a small, but significant chunk, of our collective agita.

The New York State Thruway Authority and New York Power Authority (NYPA) announced plans to install Level 2 electric vehicle chargers at up to nine thruway-owned commuter lots in one of NY’s most highly-trafficked areas.

“Strategically placing charging stations in Park and Ride lots along New York State’s most traveled highway will maximize use by commuters who take advantage of public transportation and help us achieve our goal of reducing overall statewide carbon emissions 85 percent by 2050,” said Thruway Authority Executive Director Matthew J. Driscoll.

The initiative is part of the state’s EVolve NY and Charge NY programs and Governor Cuomo’s goal of deploying more than 50,000 chargers by 2025.

Of course, these aren’t fast-chargers – far from it. The idea is to work it into your daily routine, as the Level 2 charging stations will fully charge an EV battery in 4 to 5 hours. So while this won’t help with road trips – the next frontier and biggest roadblock for EVs – it’s good to know the stations are there.

According to the NYPA press release I saw, charging stations at Exit 18 (New Paltz), Exit 21 (Catskills), Exit 43 (Manchester) and Exit 48A (Pembroke) are installed and operational, while the following locations will be up and running over the next couple months:

Exit 27 (Amsterdam)
Exit 30 (Herkimer)
Exit 34 (Canastota)
Exit 38 (Liverpool)
Exit 49 (Depew)