NYC Taps Brooklyn Startup to Build 700 Curbside EV Chargers

New York City has selected Brooklyn-based startup Its Electric to dramatically expand its curbside electric vehicle charging network, a move officials say is critical to meeting the city's 2030 deadline for electrifying rideshare vehicles. The project will grow the city's PlugNYC network from 88 existing charging points to approximately 700 across all five boroughs. The expansion is part of the city's Green Rides Initiative, which mandates that all high-volume for-hire vehicles, including Uber and Lyft fleets, must be zero-emission or wheelchair-accessible by 2030. The Department of Transportation said the initiative will target neighborhoods with high concentrations of taxi and rideshare drivers and limited off-street parking, including Washington Heights, Forest Hills, and the Upper West Side. The project involves two contracts totaling $60.2 million: one for installation at $55.3 million and one for operation at $4.9 million. The chargers will be designed by Its Electric and manufactured by Boyce Technologies in Queens. The company plans to replace the current pilot infrastructure with its own hardware over the next three years.