Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara announced that he has called for a commitment from the state to fund an expansion of electric vehicle charging stations throughout the state promoting the use of electric vehicles. The funding comes from the $127.7 million Volkswagen Diesel Emissions settlement now available to New York State.

New York State has set a goal of having 800,000 electric vehicles on roads by 2025. However, electric vehicle ownership continues to grow slowly as proponents continue to come up against the challenge of awareness and infrastructure. Despite a big increase in sales in 2017, a 25 percent year-over-year jump from 2016, total sales still amounted to just less than 200,000 vehicles, less than 1 percent of the 17 million sold across the country last year.

In a letter to Governor Cuomo, Santabarbara wrote, “As the owner of an electric vehicle, I have personally experienced the difficultly in taking full advantage of the capability to operate without the use of gasoline simply because there are no charging stations available at many of the common everyday locations people travel to, such as grocery stores, schools, municipal buildings, libraries and shopping centers.”

“With the summer upon us and the cost of fuel on the rise, there’s no better time to increase the use of electric vehicle technology by providing the supporting infrastructure that is crucial to its successful use,” said Assemblyman Santabarbara, who serves on the New York State Assembly’s Energy Committee. “Increasing the number of charging stations available in our communities will allow drivers to take full advantage of the technology and promote the use of electric vehicles in our state.”