In Jersey City, Sal Cameli rigged a 19-foot cable from his kitchen to his electric car out front.
Photographer: Sarah Blesener/Bloomberg
Short on Curbside Chargers, New York EV Drivers Are Improvising
Electric car owners across the metro area are finding creative workarounds for limited street charging, from DIY setups to policing public plugs.
Sitting behind the wheel of her gray Tesla Model Y, Brooklyn resident Stephanie Doba uses her phone to punch the make, model and license plate number of a Toyota Camry into New York City’s online form for reporting illegal parking. Prompted to describe the issue, she answers with voice-to-text: “Gas car parking at electric vehicle charging station.”
Doba estimates she’s made at least 10 such reports since New York City set up curbside EV chargers near her Park Slope home three years ago. A self-appointed guardian of sorts, Doba some days walks to the tree-lined street where the public plugs are installed just to check if they’re being ICEd — EV-speak for when curbside chargers are blocked by internal-combustion cars. She never hangs around to see if her complaints result in tickets, but believes enough reports could convince the city to boost enforcement.