NYC bets on curbside charging network
With a federal government hostile to EVs, local and state governments that want to support greater EV adoption need to get serious about charging infrastructure. So we’ve got good news out of New York City, where the Mamdani administration has selected Brooklyn-based startup it’s electric (winner of the 2022 CoMotion LA New Mobility Challenge!) to build out a 700-charger network across the five boroughs.
Plus, skyrocketing diesel prices are making a great case for electric trucks, Tesla posts a mysterious appeal for “help” building its Cybercab network and Waymo fittingly partners with Lyft as it breaks up with Uber.
Finally, readers can get tickets for CoMotion LA at 50% off for the next 48 hours! Get them now!
What you need to know
New York City charges up the curb: New York City selects it’s electric, the Brooklyn-based startup, to build out the Big Apple’s curbside charging network over the next three years. The company will be tasked with deploying 700 chargers across the five boroughs, a major upgrade from the current 88. In a city like New York, where many lack off-street parking, public charging infrastructure is essential for the EV transition, not just for passenger vehicles but commercial users like ride-hail drivers and delivery workers.
Diesel prices deliver a world of pain — and an opportunity: Diesel prices have risen even higher than gas prices and now top $6 a gallon in the U.S., a major challenge for the largely diesel-powered trucking industry and all of us who depend on the products they carry. Freight operators that may have shied away from the big upfront cost of transitioning to electric trucks may be reconsidering. Morgan Stanley sees big potential for Tesla’s freight unit. In addition to saving big bucks on fueling, electric trucks will cut costs long-term on maintenance and repairs.
An EV subscription service pivots to gas: Autonomy, the Santa Monica-based vehicle subscription service, will begin to offer gas-powered cars after years of being EV-only. Embracing gas in the midst of skyrocketing gas prices is a bit ironic, but Autonomy is following the example of automakers that have retreated from EVs in response to the elimination of the EV tax credit and other policy headwinds.
We are less than 10 weeks from CoMotion LA ‘26, featuring the OMF Summit Track on Nov. 18-19 in Downtown LA.
Be in the room with mayors, innovative policymakers, technology founders, VC investors — from top companies and organizations from across North America and around the world.
The latest participants include: City of Los Angeles, City of Santa Monica, Germany Trade & Invest, Uber, Arup, LADOT, LA Metro, LA28, Elavon by US Bank, Flix, RoboDock, California Department of Transportation, SCAG, UCLA, Port of Long Beach, U.S. Department of Commerce, California Bicycle Coalition, Caltech, AppyWay, HNTB, Zoox, Waymo, CALCOG, Humble Robotics, FIFA, FAA, and many more.
Exclusive: CoMotion Substack readers can save 50% off with code “SUBSTACK”. Offer ends September 17th.
Waymo gets a Lyft in Nashville: Waymo has been operating solo in Music City since April, but its vehicles are now also available through the Lyft app. The partnership with Lyft comes as the Alphabet subsidiary begins to wind down its partnership with Uber. It will be interesting to see if Lyft’s partnership with Waymo endures longer than Uber’s.
Tesla’s mysterious request for help: On the Tesla website, the automaker is inviting people to fill out a form to “help us build out our robotaxi network.” The ways you can help include “Cybercab fleet vehicle purchasing,” “mobility hubs and infrastructure,” and “event collaboration.” This suggests Tesla is considering a business model that is more decentralized than its rivals but less radical than the vision Elon Musk previously articulated, where millions of Tesla owners would allow their own cars to operate as taxis.
What we’re reading
What 60 years of riding Muni taught me: Tina Martin, an 80-year-old San Franciscan, reflects on her six decades of riding Muni, the embattled transit agency that will face big cuts if voters don’t approve a new property tax in November. In contrast to the widespread perception of aggression and disorder, Martin says kindness is the most common feature she encounters from fellow riders.
