U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez today announced $15 million in federal funding for New York City Department of Transportation to build an electric vehicle (EV) charging depot in the Bronx. Located in the Hunts Point neighborhood, the charging depot will accommodate both freight and passenger vehicles with 20 fast EV charging ports and eight Level 2 chargers.
“I am proud to support a new and exciting mission to build electric vehicle charging infrastructure throughout New York City and other American cities, so cars can have easy access to efficient charging, and to support the adoption of cleaner, electric vehicles,” said Senator Chuck Schumer. “The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act I led to passage included $2.5 billion to help pay for EV charging infrastructure, and funding projects like the Hunts Point charging depot will only accelerate our goals to lessen carbon emissions and pave the way for a cleaner, healthier future – especially in a community with a sky-high asthma rate. New York City is leading the way in building out our nation’s network of EV chargers, supercharging the fight against climate change and creating a cleaner, electric future for all.”
“Electric mobility is the future of transportation and will help create a healthier, cleaner environment for New Yorkers,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This federal funding will be used to build much-needed EV charging infrastructure in the Bronx to help get more electric vehicles on the road, leading to a reduction in carbon emissions and cleaner air for New York City residents. I am proud to have advocated for this funding and will continue to fight to create a healthier environment for all.”
“Investing in projects like the Hunts Point charging depot is a significant step forward in working towards our goals to reduce carbon emissions and build a cleaner future for our city and planet. These electric vehicle charging stations are especially welcome in the Bronx, which has some of the highest childhood asthma rates in the United States. Establishing more EV charging stations in New York City and across the United States will improve air quality for our children and families in the borough and across the country. I am proud that NYC is leading in this initiative to transition to clean energy and combat the climate crisis,” said Rep. Ocasio-Cortez.
The federal funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program, which the senator created in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act.
“This project will support the growing demand for electric vehicle use, lessen carbon emissions, and pave the way for a cleaner future by making charging infrastructure more accessible,” Schumer said.
Schumer, Gillibrand and Ocasio-Cortez have been relentless champions for encouraging the adoption of more electric vehicles, helping bring production back from overseas and expanding charging infrastructure for all communities. In the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, Schumer successfully secured $7.5 billion to build out a national network of EV chargers, including an estimated $175 million over the next 5 years in funding for EV charging stations for New York State. New York’s first federally funded rapid charging EV station was installed last month.
Established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that the senators and congresswoman were instrumental in passing, the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program (CFI program) is administering $2.5 billion over five years to strategically deploy accessible electric vehicle charging and alternative fueling infrastructure in the places people live and work, in both urban and rural areas, including downtown areas and local neighborhoods, particularly in underserved and disadvantaged communities. This first round of funding, $700 million from fiscal years 2022 and 2023, is available for strategic EV charging infrastructure and other fueling infrastructure projects and will make modern and sustainable infrastructure accessible to all drivers of electric, hydrogen, propane, and natural gas vehicles. These types of programs will accelerate the deployment of transformative projects that will help ensure the reliability of clean energy infrastructure, so all American communities have access to affordable, reliable, clean electricity anytime, anywhere.
