Law aims to ensure access to EV chargers
KINGSTON, N.Y. » A bill to protect electric vehicle drivers’ access to public charging facilities was signed this week by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The legislation makes it a violation of state Vehicle and Traffic Law for non-electric vehicles to park in a space re-served for electric vehicle charging.
The bill (S6836), sponsored by state Sen. Jen Metzger, D- Rosendale, also requires that electric vehicles must be charging while using a designated space, not just be parked there.
“EV drivers need access to charging stations just like non-EV drivers who pull up to the pump, and it’s critical that the public only use charging spaces for their intended purpose — to charge,” Metzger said in a prepared statement. “To make the shift to electric vehicles, drivers need to have the confidence that these facilities will be available....”
The state has set a goal of having 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2025, and sales for plug-in vehicles continue to grow, according to Metzger’s of-fice.
While electric vehicle owners typically meet most of their charging needs by charging at home overnight, the wide availability of charging stations is considered necessary to fully accommodate the need.
Local governments are increasingly making the infrastructure available in municipal parking lots and on public streets, but there previously was no legal deterrent to parking in designated charging spaces.