The Port Authority and electric mobility firm Revel announced Wednesday that they will be building a new charging station at JFK Airport, more than doubling the facility’s charging capacity.
The project will bring 24 new fast-chargers to JFK’s West Cell Phone Lot, just off the Van Wyck Expressway on 130th Place at the airport’s northwestern end.
JFK is currently home to 22 electric-vehicle fast-chargers.
“The electric chargers currently at JFK are very popular, which shows strong demand for charging equipment to accommodate even more electric vehicles at our facilities,” Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said in a statement. “This partnership with Revel is another major step in our commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, while supporting the transportation ecosystem around us to reach the same goal.”
The so-called “fast chargers,” capable of topping up a car’s battery in 20 minutes to an hour, depending on the car, will be open for public use. But the biggest beneficiary of the additional chargers is widely expected to be the ride-share industry.
Demand for chargers citywide — especially at the city’s two airports — has grown since the Adams administration’s “green rides initiative” mandated a move to zero-emission for-hire vehicles by 2030.
Currently 12,021 of the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission’s 82,000 active Ubers and Lyfts are electric.
“It’s impossible to electrify ride-share without an abundance of charging near the airports,” Revel CEO Frank Reig said in a statement. “Revel’s JFK site will be one of the most-used fast-charging stations in the country, and with the Port Authority’s support, we’re on track to open it in a matter of months.”
Revel and the Port Authority said the chargers were expected to come online in “early 2025.”
