Page 8 - CooperatorNews NY November 2021

8 COOPERATORNEWS — NOVEMBER 2021 COOPERATORNEWS.COM America’s Going Electric Where Will Apartment Dwellers Charge Their Cars? BY DARCEY GERSTEIN New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s an electric vehicle (EV) future, providing chargers equitably distributed across the kW to a vehicle, giving it about 4 miles Labor Day signing of four pieces of new ready access to charging is one of the big- legislation protecting and supporting gest issues facing New Yorkers during the electric.” (It should be noted that the fed- workers gave those laws a lot of visibil- ity. (Readers of CooperatorNews can find a summary of two of those four pieces of legislation—one addressing the prevail- ing wage law for co-ops and condos re- ceiving the 421-a tax abatement, and the city (8.8 million people in 2020) plans to City will need 400,000 electric vehicles of taxis, liveries, and ride-share vehicles, other a shared work benefits extension— in the Pulse section of our October issue.) Perhaps less noticed by the state’s co- op and condo community was another greenhouse gas emissions and combat cli- piece of legislation that Governor Hochul mate change. The plan was released the needs. To get there, says the outlet, the 240-volt, 40-amp circuit—the type that signed a few days later, banning the sale day after the governor’s announcement city plans to install 40,000 public Level 2 you might see in the home dedicated for of internal combustion engine passenger about the internal combustion engine (L2) chargers and 6,000 DC fast chargers a window AC unit or oven—and delivers cars and light trucks by 2035. On its face, ban, and is another important component throughout the city by 2030. All munici- this new law doesn’t seem to have much of the city’s goal of carbon neutrality by pal parking lots and garages will have 20% an EV a driving range of 18 to 28 miles to do with the multifamily housing indus- try...until you consider the fact that many of the state’s residents—and a vast ma- jority of New York City dwellers—live in “With the climate crisis upon us, it’s time side charging stations throughout the five charger manufacturer FreeWire. This is multifamily apartments, condos, and co- ops. Few of these residents have either the can dramatically accelerate the adoption creasing to 10,000 curbside charging sta- space or the authority to install the charg- ing stations they’ll need to power non- internal-combustion vehicles. As laws zon, our plan lays the groundwork for a will limit charges to 60 minutes per vehi- like these shift the momentum toward network of tens of thousands of public EV cle at $0.30 per kW from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. tended) vary, but generally do not exceed transition. The Plan Happily, New York City may be on the bipartisan infrastructure bill that has yet a permanent parking space (e.g., most verge of solving that issue. CleanTechnica reports that the nation’s most populous create one of the country’s largest electric on the city’s streets by 2030 to meet the which will also need to comply with city vehicle charging networks over the next 2050 carbon neutrality goal. To make that and state regulations around carbon emis- 10 years in an effort to reduce the city’s happen, all those EV drivers need to have sions reduction). 2050. Department of Transportation (DOT) chargers by 2025, and 40% by 2030. In go from fully depleted to fully charged head Hank Gutman said in a statement: addition, the DOT will install 1,000 curb- to plan bigger about how New York City boroughs by 2025, with that number in- of electric vehicles. With major federal tions by 2030. investments in EV charging on the hori- city, enabling many more car owners to go worth of power per hour of charge. The eral investments to which Gutman refers 11 and 20 hours to charge a vehicle fully— are part of President Joe Biden’s $1 trillion not a practical option for anyone without to pass through Congress.) CleanTechnica estimates that New York needs to drive a lot (e.g., the city’s fleet access to enough chargers to meet their of their parking spots equipped with L2 per hour of charge. The average EV can As the plan stands now, New York City use. It requires purchase of an L2 connec- weekdays and $0.25 all other times, with payment handled by EV infrastructure company ChargePoint using its smart- phone app. Consolidated Edison will pro- vide the electricity. “The Electrifying New York plan, in- cluding its ambitious vision for a new network of public EV chargers, will play a key role in reducing climate changing greenhouse gases, lowering the risk of respiratory illnesses, reducing noise, and ending our reliance on fossil fuels,” says Ben Furnas, director of the mayor’s Office of Climate and Sustainability. Level Up If you still drive a gas-guzzler (or don’t drive at all, as is the case with many in the city), you might be wondering what the difference is between all these charging levels. According to website ChargePoint, Level 1 is a regular 120-volt connection on a 20-amp circuit; electric car manufac- turers include a Level 1 charger with their vehicles to connect to a regular home out- let. This clearly isn’t a permanent solution for anyone who lives in a high-rise or who parks somewhere other than their own property. Moreover, L1 supplies only 1.4 average L1 EV charger will take between New York City residents) or anyone who A Level 2 charger requires a 208- to 6.2 to 7.4 kW. This power output allows in 8 hours or less on an L2, according to the type of charger that is set up in gas stations, hotels, and commercial parking lots across the country for EV drivers to tor, and charges for charging (no pun in- TRENDS