UK-based electric vehicle infrastructure specialist Connected Kerb has won a deal to deliver on-street EV chargers for a ground-breaking project in New York.

The kerbside charging pilot will provide a blueprint for New York to roll out 10,000 on-street chargers by 2030

The kerbside charging pilot will provide a blueprint for New York to roll out 10,000 on-street chargers by 2030, driving up EV ownership amongst the 50% of residents that park their cars on-street. While EV ownership in New York is rapidly expanding thanks to a greater choice of vehicles and improved technology, prospective EV buyers report that convenient access to charging is a major barrier to purchasing EVs.

The deal, which will cut emissions and improve air quality for millions, will also electrify 20% of municipal parking bays by 2025.

It’s part of the DOT Studio collaboration between the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) and Newlab, focused on applying emerging technologies to advance planning, policy, operations and real-time management of transportation across New York City in line with the city’s Vision Zero and sustainability goals.

Connected Kerb will receive funding to install its charging points and is currently exploring locations at the Brooklyn Navy Yard to deliver a ‘living lab’ that will demonstrate its ‘smart city’ infrastructure. This involves using the company’s the chargers – which also support a number of IoT (Internet of Things) and telecommunication applications – to showcase how mass EV take-up can support the rollout of other cutting-edge public access technology in urban environments. Pilot planning and design is underway now, with the goal of launching by fall 2022.

Steve Richardson and Nick Dobie, co-founders of Connected Kerb, commented: “There are around two million light duty vehicles in New York City, accounting for 80% of transport emissions. New York City DOT has established ambitious goals to eliminate these emissions by boosting electric vehicle adoption, and The DOT Studio project will provide crucial a blueprint for how to deliver world-leading charging infrastructure to support that goal – supercharging EV uptake, cutting emissions and improving public health.

“We’re incredibly excited to be working with New York City’s DOT and Newlab to support the decarbonisation of the City’s transport system. We’re confident that this pilot will not only fast track New York’s EV charging rollout, but also prove our technology in America, and provide a springboard for growth into the future.”

The pilot – which also includes Char.gy and Voltpost – is part of DOT’s ambition to steer the EV charging market before there is enough EV demand for the private sector to take over fully. This will be critical to ensuring that chargers are distributed equitably around the city, rather than concentrated in high-income areas.

Enabling greater EV adoption is critical to achieving New York City’s net zero goals, and we are pleased to collaborate with NYC DOT and Connected Kerb through the DOT Studio to help realize the vision for a more sustainable, resilient and equitable city,” said Shaina Horowitz, VP of Product and Programs at Newlab.

“We expect the pilot to provide invaluable data on how to most effectively deploy EV charging infrastructure in densely populated areas and make scalable EV use possible, with potential implications for both NYC and cities around the world.”