New York’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) plan unlocks $175 million in new funding
Earlier this week, the federal Dept. of Transportation gave the official thumbs up to New York’s plans (as well as those of every other state) for building out EV charging infrastructure statewide.
New York’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) plan unlocks $175 million in new funding to install charging stations roughly every 50 miles along New York highways. (Crain’s New York Business)
The plan was pushed further by Gov. Kathy Hochul’s announcement today that all new vehicles sold in the state must be zero emissions by 2035.
The momentum to go electric is growing: According to a new International Energy Agency report analyzing 55 systems comprising the energy sector, EV adoption is one of just two of those systems expected to hit 2030 climate targets. (Protocol)
With plans approved and funding soon flowing, we asked some tech leaders in our network about what comes next. Here’s what they had to say:
Frank Reig, co-founder and CEO of Revel: “New York is in desperate need of EV infrastructure and getting our NEVI plan approved is obviously a big win. But it’s not an end all solution, especially for accessible public fast charging in the five boroughs, which is far from equitable. If all car sales are going to be zero-emission by 2035, we need to make significant investments today toward fast charging, grid resiliency, and renewable energy pipelines in the densest part of our state so the folks who stand to benefit the most from cleaner air, green jobs, and electrification can actually get it.”
Jeff Prosserman, founder and CEO of Voltpost: "We must accelerate the transition to electric transportation in order to achieve a pathway to net-zero emissions. The US DOT announcement is a pivotal step to increase public electric vehicle charging across the country. Voltpost is on a mission to decarbonize mobility by providing convenient lamppost charging access. We look forward to collaborating with the US DOT to empower drivers across all communities.”
Ruth Fasoldt, Director of Government Relations at Lyft: "We commend the DOT on their forward-looking approach to the electrification of our transportation system and helping ensure the benefits of EVs are accessible to everyone. We look forward to continuing to work with the state to ensure equitable investment in charging for all New Yorkers, including those in our disadvantaged communities and urban centers."
Moshe Cohen, founder and CEO of Gravity: "This could be a big step forward for New York, but only if we do it right. How well this works will depend on speed and convenience for drivers. Charging should never be less convenient or slower than the experience at a gas station. That means charging stations on highways should meet a minimum capacity of 350kW, capable of charging a car in minutes. Every site should have multiple charging terminals that share power so that at any given time, no single car or cars can block available power from other EV owners. Anything slower than 350kW is already obsolete. All sites should be easily upgradeable to higher capacity with a contractual commitment by the site hosts to do so. We must not waste precious public dollars on obsolete technology.”
Tara Pham, co-founder and CEO of Numina: “The biggest blocker to infrastructure development in NYC is lack of structure and protocols for deploying. They are figuring it out as they go, and thus slowed, to almost a standstill, by fear around moving forward too hastily and setting unsustainable precedents for future vendors and projects. To support local high-tech businesses and, for example, meet its own procurement goals for MWBEs [Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises], it must streamline what are currently ambiguous multi-month or multi-year planning and permitting processes. Few startups can survive these bureaucracies. If the City wants to lead on innovation, it needs to be courageous and willing to adopt more flexible permitting that optimizes for iteration and learning over perfection on the first try."
Photo by Andrew Roberts on Unsplash