For Immediate Release CITY OF AUBURN ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATION RIBBON CUTTING
Date: Friday, November 10th (rain or shine) Time: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Location: City of Auburn parking garage on Lincoln Street
Contact: Chris Carrick 315-422-8276 ext. 1213 ccarrick@cnyrpdb.org
The City of Auburn will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its first electric vehicle charging station, which has been installed in the public parking garage on Lincoln Street. The public and media are invited to attend the event, which will be held on Friday, November 10th from 4:00 to 5:00 pm in the parking garage. To celebrate and promote the City’s first installation of an EV charging station the City will offer this as a free service for the first 6 months.
There will be several electric vehicles on display at the event, including the Nissan Leaf, the Chevrolet Bolt EV, and the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive.
“The City is proud to unveil our EV charging station, which will electric car charging services to the public. Equipped with two connections, our station is in close proximity to restaurants, shops, bars and City Hall,” said the Honorable Michael D. Quill, Mayor of the City of Auburn. “The station is an important step towards meeting the goals of the City of Auburn and Cayuga County Comprehensive Sustainable Energy and Development Plan, adopted in March of 2009, which called for promoting alternative fuel vehicles in the community.”
Auburn’s charging station is one of several stations to be installed throughout the Central New York region through implementation of the Central New York Electric Vehicle Charging Station Plan, prepared by the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board (CNY RPDB) in 2016 with the support of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Fayetteville installed its station in August and Dewitt is scheduled to receive its charging station later this year.
These installations are part of a broader campaign by New York State to provide charging stations along the I-90 corridor as well as increase the use of electric vehicles. In total, 25 charging stations will be installed in the Capital District, Mohawk Valley, Central New York, Genesee and Western New York. Most of the 25 stations are expected to be operational by the end of the year. The installations support Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Charge NY initiative, which aims to increase the number of electric vehicles and charging stations throughout the State. More than 1,700 charging stations have already been installed toward Charge NY’s goal of 3,000 charging stations by 2018.
To further accelerate the use of electric vehicles in New York State, the Governor launched the Drive Clean Rebate initiative earlier this year which provides rebates of up to $2,000 to New York residents for the purchase of a new plug-in hybrid electric car, all-electric car or hydrogen fuel cell car. For the first three full months following the implementation of the initiative, New York State saw the total number of electric cars sold increase 62 percent over the same time period last year.
“One of the biggest barriers to adoption of electric vehicles is the uncertainty that drivers have about where and how they can charge up their batteries,” said Chris Carrick, Energy Program Manager for the CNY RPDB. “Our regional plan identified gaps where public charging stations are not currently available in the region to support EV drivers and made recommendations about new stations in key locations to establish a comprehensive charging network.”
The transportation sector is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in New York State. EVs can save money and reduce air pollution in New York State. Compared to gasoline-powered cars, EVs are more energy efficient and cost 50-70% less to operate per mile. A large portion of New York’s electricity grid is powered by clean low-carbon energy sources (not oil or coal), allowing EVs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants that cause smog and acid rain.
“New York has been a leader in promoting cleaner forms of transportation,” said Barry Carr, director of Clean Communities of Central New York, one of 90 local coalitions sponsored by the US Department of Energy which develops public/private partnerships to promote alternative fuel vehicles. “Through the Charge NY initiative, the State is working to accommodate an expected 30,000 to 40,000 EVs on the road by 2018 and these charging stations will be vital to supporting these vehicles.”
According to industry reports, US electric car sales reached a record market share in 2016, growing 30% compared to 2015 and accounting for more than 1% of all passenger cars sold last year at nearly 145,000 units. There are more EVs available to consumers now than ever before, with 30 models on the market in the United States. As of July 2017, there were about 20,000 electric vehicles registered in New York State, with more than 2,500 EV/PHEVs registered in Central New York.
“I love my electric car,” said Andrew Simkin, of Auburn. “It is quiet, zippy, and really fun to drive. It requires less maintenance, and the cost per mile driven is much lower than a gasoline-powered car. I appreciate the fact that much of the power that goes into charging my car comes from renewable sources, and none comes from fossil fuels from overseas. It is a great vehicle for my daily commute."
Details:
Public remarks from the Honorable Michael D. Quill, Mayor of the City of Auburn; Barry Carr, Coordinator of the Clean Communities of Central New York; Chris Carrick, Energy Program Manager of the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board; and Andrew Simkin, an attorney based in Auburn who owns an electric car.
Electric Vehicles will on display and available for test drives and ride-alongs: the Nissan Leaf, the Chevrolet Bolt EV, and the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive.
Hosted By:
The City of Auburn
The Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board
Clean Communities of Central New York