Manhattan will soon be home to as many as 3 times more Tesla electric vehicle charging stations than gas stations, following the company’s recent decision to expand the destination charger network there.
The decision to expand the Tesla electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in the densely built Manhattan island portion of New York City has precisely focused on garages — with the majority of the destination chargers in question being installed at popular garages throughout the area.
The company is apparently aiming for there to be a destination charger every 3 blocks or so in Manhattan by September — presumably in anticipation of surging demand following the Model 3 launch next year. The company also recently opened a new showroom and service garage nearby — not in Manhattan, but rather in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The company maintains a showroom in Chelsea as well.
The New York Post provides more:
Looking to make driving less of a pain for the 1,500 owners of its electric cars in the Big Apple, Tesla motors plans to greatly expand its network of Manhattan charging stations to 105 by March 31, The Post has learned. Each will be able to provide a full charge in as little as four hours — and most will be free to Tesla owners.
…Currently there are around 40 gas stations in the city. The number has been falling fast as developers continue to raze them in favor of more lucrative projects. While drivers gripe of rush-hour log jams at Manhattan gas stations that result in waits of up to 40 minutes, Tesla drivers will likely have little or no wait to drop off their car for a “fill up.”
An Upper West Sider who brings his Model S P85D downtown regularly, by the name of Paul Gardi, commented: “The garages have a better sense of what’s going on now. A year ago, the garages were saying, ‘Whoa, what’s this thing?’ But now, they know what to do — you can just leave it and say, ‘Plug it in,’ and come back in an hour.”
A rep from Tesla commented on the decision, noting that, while earlier expansion had focused on hotels and restaurants, things were changing: “However, in an effort to tackle the need for urban charging, we expanded the program and partnered with public garages that offer parking both by the hour or the month.”
Images by Anthony Quintano (some rights reserved); Tesla Motors