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April 16, 2025 – New York City drivers who have been eyeing an electric vehicle but worried about where to charge may soon have an easier path. The city’s Department of Transportation has unveiled a plan to install up to 600 new curbside Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations over the next three years, and it’s asking New Yorkers to help decide where they go.
The initiative comes as a response to a unique challenge in the nation’s largest city: more than half of car owners rely entirely on street parking, with no driveway or garage to plug in. Currently, only 88 curbside Level 2 chargers are scattered across the five boroughs, a fraction of the 40,000 publicly accessible charging ports the city estimates will be needed to support a fully electrified fleet by 2030.
“Our main goal for transportation is making it easier and more affordable to walk, bike, and take transit,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. “But for those who still drive, we have to dramatically accelerate EV adoption. Expanding curbside charging gives New Yorkers a real shot at switching to electric.”
The proposed chargers will be placed in neighborhoods where off-street parking is scarce and where a high number of TLC-licensed drivers live. The DOT is also prioritizing low- and moderate-income communities that currently lack private charging infrastructure, in a bid to ensure equitable access to the city’s clean energy transition.
The first neighborhoods slated for the new stations include:
Residents can view the proposed sites and submit suggestions for additional locations through an online portal on the DOT’s website. The feedback period is open through May 15, 2025.
Adding 600 stations over three years might sound modest, but it represents a tenfold increase from the current curbside network. Each Level 2 charger can add about 25 miles of range per hour, making overnight parking a viable charging option. The city is also exploring partnerships with Con Edison to upgrade grid capacity in high-demand areas, a common bottleneck for urban EV charging.
Beyond the curbside program, New York City has committed to installing 10,000 public Level 2 and DC fast-charging ports by 2030, backed by federal funds from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program and state-level incentives. The new curbside stations are expected to cost roughly $20 million, with funding from the city’s capital budget and grants.
For context, cities like Los Angeles and Chicago have already deployed hundreds of curbside chargers, and New York’s plan mirrors similar efforts in London and Paris. “Curbside charging is the key to cracking the code for dense urban areas,” said Emily Chen, a transportation analyst at the Urban Mobility Lab. “Without it, EV ownership will remain a privilege for the few who have private parking.”
The DOT’s announcement comes as New York State pushes for all new car sales to be zero-emission by 2035. Currently, EVs make up only about 4% of registered vehicles in the five boroughs, lagging behind the national average of 8%. Officials hope that visible, reliable curbside charging will help close that gap.
For now, the city is focusing on Level 2 technology, which is cheaper to install than DC fast chargers and works well for overnight or workday parking. Future phases may include Level 3 units at strategic locations like taxi stands and commercial corridors.
New Yorkers can submit their feedback or suggest a new curbside charging location at the DOT’s official website. The first installations are expected to break ground in late 2025, with the full rollout completed by 2028.
