Gov. Cuomo charged up over electric vehicle sales in NY state

Sales of electric vehicles in New York state soared 50% in 2018 as compared with the number sold in 2017, according to a new report which was funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo released the report and he was out front in extolling the virtues of New Yorkers buying electric vehicles at a record pace.

electric vehicles new york
An electric vehicle charging station installed at the Dutchess County Office Building in Poughkeepsie.
Photo courtesy of the county government.

The number of electric vehicles on the road jumped to 36,854 in 2018, up from 24,551 in 2017. The report has a new cost-benefit analysis showing increased deployment of electric vehicles in New York state could provide up to $5.1 billion in net spin-off benefits, including reduced costs of driving by eliminating gasoline and maintenance costs of internal combustion engines and the complex systems needed to make today”™s vehicles move.

“As we continue to expand our charging infrastructure across the state, we are making it easier and more affordable than ever to drive an electric vehicle in New York,” Cuomo said.”The spike in sales of electric vehicles in 2018 underscores not only the benefits of these vehicles but also the positive impact our Charge NY initiatives are having on our ability to move to greener power.” That involves putting the state on a path to carbon neutrality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030.

Cuomo also announced a new fast charger hub at John F. Kennedy International Airport that will enable taxis, ride-sharing vehicles, buses and other electric vehicles to charge in 20 minutes or less.

The state has set a goal of increasing the number of electric vehicles (EV) on the road to approximately 850,000 by 2025 and 2 million by 2030. The report said that in New York as of June 2018, there were more than 27,000 registered EVs on the road. More specifically, about 33% of those EVs were battery electric vehicles such as the Tesla Model S and Model X, the Nissan LEAF, and the BMW i3; and 67% of the EVs were plug-in, hybrid electric vehicles such as the Toyota Prius Prime, Chevrolet Volt, and the Ford Energi series (including the Fusion and C-Max models).