Hoboken Goes Green: Two New Fast Chargers for Electric Cars Coming This Summer

The City of Hoboken is set to install two publicly accessible DC fast chargers to provide electric vehicle (EV) owners with a convenient way to fully charge their vehicles in under an hour. The $150,000 grant from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities will be used to install the ChargePoint charging stations on Newark Street, furthering the City’s Climate Action Plan to become carbon neutral by 2050.

With over 1,600 electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles currently registered to Hoboken residents, the demand for EV infrastructure is on the rise. The new charging stations will supplement the City’s existing 24 level 2 charging ports located in municipal garages and on First Street between Washington Street and Hudson Street. Additionally, the City plans to install 17 level 2 and eight DC fast chargers as part of a partnership with Volta.

Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla lauded the grant, thanking Governor Phil Murphy and the NJBPU for providing the funding. He emphasized that providing residents with greater access to EV charging infrastructure will make it easier to own an electric vehicle and reduce the dependency on fossil fuels consumed by traditional vehicles.

The Newark Street fast chargers will come at no cost to the municipal budget. The project is funded by a $150,000 BPU EV Tourism Grant, a $136,279 American Rescue Plan appropriation, and over $72,000 in additional reimbursements.

Expanding the accessibility of electric vehicle charging infrastructure is a key initiative within the City’s Climate Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and become carbon neutral by 2050. By 2025, the City aims to ensure that residents throughout the city are within a 5-minute walk of a charging station.

The two ChargePoint charging stations are set to be installed this summer between Grand Street and Adams Street. Since the first public charging stations were installed in 2021, over 9,500 charging sessions have taken place, demonstrating the appeal and accessibility of curbside charging.