The purchase comes as New York City faces growing demand for electric vehicle charging. Tesla's expansion of charging infrastructure hits a snag recently when the company laid off its entire 500-member Supercharger team. This led Tesla to back out of plans for four new Supercharger sites in the city.
Max de Zegher, Tesla's director of charging for North America, signed the deed for the Maspeth property. De Zegher was initially let go in the layoffs but has since been rehired. Real estate news outlet PincusCo first reported on the land purchase.
Currently, Tesla operates two free-standing Supercharger stations in NYC - one at JFK airport and another near Coney Island in southern Brooklyn. These stations have gotten overcrowded, especially with electric yellow cabs using them since last November.
The city's Greenrides Initiative, which requires all new for-hire vehicles to be electric, has increased demand for charging. The NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission has seen a surge in electric vehicle applications as a result. As of March 2024, electric trips have hit two million, saving 731,000 gallons of gas.
But the lack of charging infrastructure causes problems. Drivers report waiting up to 90 minutes at the South Brooklyn Supercharger. One Uber driver said he's losing business due to long wait times, despite earning $35-40 per hour normally.
The city plans to add more public fast-charging options. NYC's Department of Transportation announced two new DC fast-charging locations opening soon.
Private companies are also working to meet the growing demand. Revel, a ride-hail startup, operates a fleet of neon blue Teslas in NYC with its own charging network.
Source: InsideEVs
