Newark is awarded a federal grant to help expand electric vehicle and e-bike charging infrastructure around the city.
The $590,949 grant comes from the Federal Highway Administration’s Charging and Fueling Infrastructure program, and will fund the installation of 12 e-bike charging stations – Newark currently has none.
Newark’s Assistant City Manager Jeff Martindale says going from zero to 12 e-bike charging stations is important to offer eco-friendly mobility to people of all income levels.
"So e-bikes might be a much more affordable option for me and a lot of other people,” said Martindale. “So to distribute those around I think it helps residents of all income levels to dip their toes into the EV realm."
Martindale says it will also more than triple the city’s EV charging capacity – the city currently has five.
"So this grant would allow us to install an additional 11 charging stations as soon as we're ready for them. We should be infrastructure eligible to cover up to 22 vehicles at a time, and then the infrastructure we're installing would also allow us to install an additional six charging stations down the road not covered under the grant," said Martindale.
Martindale notes the new charging stations will be located in downtown municipal lots three and four, Curtis Mill Park, Phillips Park, and the George Wilson Center.
The Newark Reservoir/Preston’s Playground is a possible backup location if any other sites are not feasible.
This is part of the city’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions, supporting eco-friendly mobility for everyone, and fostering a sustainable community.
The plan is for the new charging stations to be installed sometime in 2027.
