Six new fast chargers are now available for electric vehicles in downtown White Plains, adding convenience for local residents and highway travelers and completing the expansion of the New York Power Authority's (NYPA) statewide Evolve NY network into the Lower Hudson Valley region. The new hub, conveniently located next to the city's primary business strip, is the first in White Plains and brings the total number of EVolve NY fast chargers statewide to nearly 240 - well past the halfway mark to the goal of 400 by early 2026.
"White Plains is setting the bar for what cities in New York State can do to make EV driving easier for residents and visitors while bringing economic benefits to their communities," said Power Authority President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll, who joined White Plains Mayor Tom Roach today to make the announcement. "This new multi-hub downtown location extends the EVolve NY fast charging network into central Westchester and addresses a regional need in the Lower Hudson Valley. The Power Authority is well over halfway to its goal of eliminating service gaps throughout the state so drivers can conveniently power up while traveling to Buffalo, New York City, Long Island and everywhere in between."
The new six-charger EVolve NY charging site is located in the city-owned Chester-Maple parking garage at 9 Chester Ave., a block from Mamaroneck Avenue and Boston Post Road. The units are less than one mile from Exit 8 on I-287 and an easy walk to the many restaurants and shops in the downtown area.
Mayor Roach stated, "This is a great day for the City of White Plains. The installation of six electric vehicle fast chargers at the Chester-Maple parking garage is a significant step in the right direction to advancing New York State's transition to clean transportation. The City is working on many projects that will improve air quality throughout the City: creating a bike lane network; expanding the City's electric vehicle fleet; and, of course, building out the City's electric vehicle charging infrastructure that will make it convenient for residents, business owners and visitors to own an electric vehicle."
The City of White Plains works each day to identify and implement projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. NYPA and the State of New York have worked effectively with the City to develop and advance innovative energy projects with minimal environmental impacts. A primary goal of Mayor Roach and the City of White Plains is to build out a broad and reliable electric vehicle-charging infrastructure, which will benefit the region.
NYPA installed the Chester-Maple parking garage chargers as part of a lower Hudson Valley / Westchester County EVolve NY expansion that includes six-unit stations in both downtown Katonah and the North County Shopping Center in Goldens Bridge. Additional Hudson Valley locations are operational in LaGrangeville, Kingston and Middletown.
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said: "The expansion of New York Power Authority's EVolve NY network in downtown White Plains marks an important step in making electric vehicle use more accessible across our County and beyond. As we continue exploring sustainable solutions to protect our environment here in Westchester, investments like this help reduce emissions, support economic development and make it easier for our residents and visitors to choose greener transportation options."
NYPA has installed almost 240 fast chargers at 56 locations and plans to complete the 400-charger statewide network over the next year. In 2018, NYPA launched the EVolve NY program to expand New York State's fast charging infrastructure along key travel corridors and at New York City airports to accelerate the adoption of EVs and reduce polluting emissions. The goal was to build on the State's clean energy efforts by helping decarbonize its transportation sector.
In addition, NYPA has installed more than 1,000 chargers (including Level 2, which take up to eight hours to fully power a vehicle) at customer locations such as municipal buildings and educational facilities throughout the state.
On the Electrify America network, the White Plains hub consists of six fast chargers with CCS connectors rated at up to 350 kilowatts. Capable electric vehicles can charge in as little as 20 minutes. About 100 Level 2 chargers are also available in downtown White Plains, primarily at local government buildings, public garages and housing complexes.
Leaders with the White Plains Business Improvement District (BID) anticipate that the installations in a centrally located parking garage will help boost business in the downtown area.
"As a nonprofit organization charged with making White Plains a wonderful place to visit, shop, dine, work and play, we want to ensure all of the pieces are in place to make our downtown accessible, via all modes of transportation," said Jennifer Furioli, BID executive director. "These chargers will serve as an amenity to our local EV owners who wish to patronize our downtown and ideally will welcome new visitors who may stop to charge their vehicles during their travels, prompting them to visit some of our wonderful nearby restaurants and other businesses."
Assemblywoman Amy Paulin said, "I commend White Plains Mayor Tom Roach and the City of White Plains on the installation of their new EV fast-chargers. These high-speed chargers are an important convenience for EV drivers traveling through White Plains on I-287, will support the White Plains downtown economy by attracting EV drivers, and will help promote New York's sustainable transportation goals."
State Senator Shelley B. Mayer said, "I am so pleased that White Plains will now have six additional fast chargers for electric vehicles in an easy-to-access location in the downtown area. As New York continues to move towards a more sustainable future and prioritizes reducing polluting emissions, this is a tremendous step forward and will ease the transition to electric vehicles for many White Plains residents. I applaud the New York Power Authority and the City of White Plains for this investment."
Aaron Young, senior manager, commercial networks, Electrify America, which operates and maintains the site, said, "Electrify America s collaboration with New York Power Authority continues to accelerate the expansion of DC fast charging infrastructure in the state of New York. The charging station in White Plains is a key addition, providing a Hyper-Fast charging solution for local EV drivers and travelers through the region."
In another clean energy initiative, NYPA worked with White Plains to construct a rooftop solar system on the Chester-Maple garage in 2022 as part of a nine-site, 6.8 MW community solar portfolio.
Under Governor Kathy Hochul's leadership, New York State is investing nearly $3 billion in electrifying its transportation sector, which is vital to meeting the State's sweeping climate and clean energy plan, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. That work includes investment in electric vehicle fast chargers along major travel corridors across New York State. Funded by the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) formula funding program, the State's competitive Upstate NEVI and Downstate Direct Current Fast Charger (DCFC) programs will improve consumer access to reliable electric vehicle (EV) charging. The state is also advancing measures that all new passenger cars and trucks sold be zero emissions by 2035, along with all school buses being zero emissions the same year.
New York State currently hosts more than 2,150 public fast chargers at more than 530 locations, according to the U.S. Dept. of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center. The chargers range in speed from 25 kW to 350 kW which equates to varying charging times.
In addition to the NEVI program, there are a range of other initiatives to grow access to EVs and improve clean transit for all New Yorkers including EV Make Ready, EVolve NY, Charge Ready 2.0, the Drive Clean Rebate, the New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program (NYTVIP), the New York School Bus Incentive Program, and the Direct Current Fast Charger Program.
EV owners can locate public chargers using smartphone apps such as EV Connect,Electrify America, PlugShare, ChargeHub, ChargeWay, ChargePoint,EVGo, Livingston Charge Port, Google Maps, or the U.S. Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels Data Center. For a map showing EVolve NY chargers, click here. Credit cards are accepted to charge; no subscription or membership needed.
About NYPA
NYPA is the largest state public power organization in the nation, operating 17 generating facilities and more than 1,550 circuit-miles of transmission lines. More than 80 percent of the electricity NYPA produces is clean renewable hydropower. NYPA finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity. For more information visit www.nypa.gov and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and LinkedIn.
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