New York City is set to build its largest electric vehicle (EV) charging station in Queens, near JFK airport, with a focus on accommodating electric trucks. The charge park, slated to be operational by 2025, will initially feature 65 charging stations, including 12 fast chargers, with the capacity to scale up for more electric vehicles and trucks.
The project is a collaboration between the city’s Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and Wildflower, a developer of urban infrastructure for sustainability. The charge park will occupy a 2.3-acre land parcel between Nassau Expressway and Rockaway Boulevard, offering 24/7 accessibility.
NYCEDC President & CEO Andrew Kimball expressed the city’s commitment to sustainability, stating, “Wildflower’s electric vehicle charging development is a prime example of how committed New York City is in meeting our goals in the Green Economy Action Plan while positioning the city as a global model in sustainability and carbon neutrality.”
The initiative aims to support the city’s transition to more sustainable forms of transportation. Elijah Hutchinson, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice, highlighted the importance of electric vehicle infrastructure in reducing pollution, particularly in communities disproportionately affected by diesel-powered trucks.
“These EV charging stations help with that goal and get polluting trucks – which disproportionately burden Black and Brown communities – off our streets,” Hutchinson stated. He emphasized the need for infrastructure that supports the clean truck market, especially in environmental justice communities like Jamaica, Queens.
The Queens charge park is part of New York City’s broader efforts to expand EV infrastructure. Gravity, an EV infrastructure startup, recently opened a flagship EV charging center in Midtown Manhattan, offering 24 charge points with 500 kW each. Additionally, the city received $15 million from the US Department of Transportation for a freight-focused electric truck and vehicle charging depot at the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center in the Bronx, a major heavy trucking destination in the state.
