There are 11 times more electric charging stations than gas stations

IN THE US, Manhattan has 29 gas stations, but there are 320 charging points for electric vehicles, more than 11 times more.

According to data from the US Department of Energy (DOE), for people living or working in Manhattan, finding a place to charge an electric vehicle is 11 times easier than finding a gas station. Manhattan is also a special case, because drivers using internal combustion engine cars feel disadvantaged compared to electric car drivers in terms of convenience.

High land prices are the main reason that "ousted" gas stations even before electric vehicles became popular. The presence of gas stations is considered a waste of land because this business brings minimal profits while requiring space for convenience stores or car wash areas to survive. Just like that, fuel stations are increasingly disappearing, replaced by apartment complexes or offices.

People charge their cars at roadside charging points in New York. Photo: Michelle Young

In contrast, electric charging stations can be installed right on existing infrastructure. Many charging points are located in long-standing parking lots. The New York state government is very enthusiastic about adding charging points along the way because it can serve more people.

In fact, finding more ways to serve electric vehicle drivers is becoming increasingly important. New York state recently said it may ban the sale of low-emission passenger cars by 2035.

A recent survey of six garages conducted by Bloomberg found that the majority of parking spots were full of cars, and one pillar was broken. This also reflects JD Power's research that while there are now more charging stations than before, more are still needed.

The reason may be because the charging stations include Tesla charging posts - with designs that are usually only for the company's cars, so not all electric cars can be used. In addition, public charging points are often only at Level 2, which means it takes many hours to fully charge a vehicle's battery.

In addition, although charging points are many times more than gas stations in Manhattan, they still need to be expanded to the whole city instead of just by region. In all five boroughs, New York has 520 charging stations, but 697 gas stations. But with current policies as well as growing adoption of electric vehicles, charging stations will quickly outnumber gas stations.