Voltpost Installs First Lamppost EV Charger in New York City
The Voltpost Air unit mounts 10 feet high on a streetlight pole to avoid flooding and vandalism, offering Level 2 charging at $0.39 per kWh.
Voltpost has installed the first lamppost-mounted EV charger in New York City, aiming to address the charging challenges faced by drivers who lack home garages. The device, known as Voltpost Air, was deployed at Bush Terminal Park in South Brooklyn.
What Happened
The charger is mounted approximately 10 feet up a streetlight pole, a height chosen to protect the unit from vandalism and flooding. The system features a 25-foot retractable cable that lowers automatically after a user scans a QR code via the Voltpost app. Once the session is complete, the cable retracts back to the dispenser. During a one-hour test session with a Mercedes-Benz CLA 350 Electric, the charger added about 30 miles of indicated range. The cost for this session was $0.39 per kilowatt-hour, which is lower than the $0.60 per kWh or more charged by nearby fast-charging stations.
Why It Matters
This deployment highlights a strategy to bypass the high costs and lengthy permitting processes associated with building traditional charging stations. According to Luke Mairo, Voltpost’s COO and co-founder, using existing poles eliminates the need for sidewalk excavation and new conduit, reducing installation costs by up to 70% and allowing for deployment in hours. The chargers draw power from nearby buildings rather than splitting the lamppost’s electrical supply, leveraging spare grid capacity created by the shift to LED lighting. With over 81,000 combined EV and plug-in hybrid registrations in the city as of September, and EVs accounting for 8.3% of new vehicle registrations, New York faces a significant infrastructure gap. While the city currently has only 88 curbside chargers installed by Flo, Voltpost’s approach, along with similar initiatives from startups like It’s Electric, offers a potential path to rapidly scaling Level 2 charging access for apartment dwellers.
The Bottom Line
Voltpost Air represents a practical, low-cost alternative for curbside charging in dense urban environments. While the mechanism introduces potential failure points, the company cites UL certification and real-time monitoring to manage maintenance. The success of this pilot will depend on how quickly the technology can be scaled to meet the growing demand for public charging in New York City.
