$15 Million Federal Grant to Build Nation’s Largest Municipal Curbside EV Charging Program

Curbside EV Charger at Norman Avenue in Brooklyn. Credit: DOT

At Least 50 Percent of New Charging Locations Will Serve Disadvantaged and Low-Income Neighborhoods

Builds on City’s Effort to Reduce Transportation Emissions, Create Inclusive Green Economy

City’s Federal Infrastructure Funding Task Force Has Won Total of $850 Million in Competitive Grants  

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced that New York City has won a $15 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program to build the nation’s largest curbside electric vehicle (EV) charging program. The funding will allow for an additional 600 Level 2 chargers to be installed along streets across the five boroughs, with more than half of those chargers designated for disadvantaged and low-income neighborhoods. Additionally, the funding will allow the city to build 32 solar-powered charging ports at eight different New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) locations throughout the city. This builds on the city’s existing 100-charger pilot program, launched in conjunction with Con Edison, and supports the city’s goals to transition 100 percent of for-hire vehicle rides to electric or wheelchair-accessible vehicles by 2030.

“We’re building a cleaner, greener, and more affordable city for all New Yorkers, and through initiatives like this, we’re making sure that no New Yorkers are left behind,” said Mayor Adams. “This $15 million grant will let us build the nation’s largest EV charging program, focused on low-income and disadvantaged areas so people living in all five boroughs can afford to drive and charge electric vehicles — especially as we continue to transition all of our for-hire vehicles to EVs through our ‘Green Rides’ initiative. My thanks to the Biden-Harris administration for issuing this grant and to our congressional delegation for helping bring this vital funding back home.”

This expansion builds on DOT’s successful curbside EV charging pilot, a partnership with Con Edison. The current system of 100 chargers has the highest utilization of any such system, with an average utilization of 70 percent across all 35 sites throughout the five boroughs. Utilization is measured as the proportion of time an EV is plugged into the charger over a 24-hour period each day. These new chargers will play a critical role in the city’s ambitious “Green Rides” initiative, which requires Uber and Lyft to transition to 100 percent electric or wheelchair-accessible for-hire vehicles by 2030. The chargers will support hard-working, mostly immigrant for-hire vehicles drivers with affordable charging options where they live and work. It will also allow DOT to advance the development of charging infrastructure for micromobility options like e-bikes in the future. As part of New York City’s comprehensive electrification and zero emissions strategy, this project will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, including averting an estimated 8,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. This emissions reduction is equivalent to what’s generated by 20.4 million miles driven by an average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle.

Recent federal legislation, including the Biden-Harris administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, have made unprecedented amounts of federal funding available for key projects across the country. Recognizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Mayor Adams formed the Federal Infrastructure Funding Task Force. Under Deputy Mayor Joshi’s guidance, that task force evaluates the competitive grant opportunities available, with a focus on new opportunities made possible through both the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, and works to break down silos and foster creativity across city agencies. The city has aligned its priorities for high-quality, sustainable, and equitable infrastructure with aggressive and creative grant applications from a wide range of infrastructure agencies. To date, the city has received over $850 million in competitive federal infrastructure grant awards from these sources.

Today’s announcement builds on the Adams administration’s efforts to make getting around New York City both more accessible and more affordable, particularly for young people and low-income New Yorkers. In the Fiscal Year 2025 Adopted Budget, the administration partnered with the City Council to invest an additional $20.7 million in “Fair Fares NYC,” expanding eligibility for half-price fares to people making 145 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. The budget also included $11 million to provide free MetroCards to Summer Youth Employment Program participants, who — thanks to the Adams administration’s efforts — are also eligible for free two-month Citi Bike memberships. In 2023, Mayor Adams launched a historic greenway expansion to build 40 new miles of protected bike infrastructure in the outer boroughs, bringing safer, greener transportation options to the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. In 2022, Mayor Adams unveiled “NYC Ferry Forward,” which created a discount program, similar to Fair Fares, in which seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income riders pay reduced fares for ferry rides.