Gravity Launches NYC Indoor Charging Hub - Expansion Plans

Gravity Aims to Revolutionize Urban EV Charging

Startup Gravity, focused on electric vehicle (EV) fleets and infrastructure, believes it has found a solution to the challenges of urban EV charging.

The company, established in February, has initiated a project to transform an indoor parking garage in Manhattan into a public EV fast charging station. Upon opening in the coming weeks, the 29-space garage – leased from Related Companies – will represent the first dedicated EV charging facility on the island. Gravity intends to expand this concept significantly.

Scaling Plans and Grid Considerations

“We anticipate deploying five to ten fast charging locations with varying capacities throughout Manhattan within the next six months,” stated Moshe Cohen, Gravity’s CEO and founder, in an interview with TechCrunch. “We are collaborating with Con Ed on dozens of sites across the five boroughs.”

Cohen emphasized the importance of scalability, noting that success hinges on comprehensive coverage areas and careful assessment of the power grid. It’s not a viable solution as isolated installations.

Addressing the NYC Charging Challenge

Parking in New York City is notoriously difficult. Locating both parking and a charging point for an EV, however, presents an even greater hurdle – a rare and potentially costly find. Currently, most NYC EV charge points are located within parking garages, often with limited availability amidst spaces reserved for internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.

Gravity’s charging hub distinguishes itself by offering free parking while vehicles are charging, with users only paying for the electricity consumed.

Competition and Utility Support

Gravity isn’t the sole innovator addressing urban EV charging. Electric mobility company Revel, initially known for its shared e-mopeds, launched the city’s first public fast charging hub in Brooklyn this past June.

Both initiatives have received support from Con Edison, New York’s electric utility, through its electric vehicle charging incentives and rewards programs.

Power Infrastructure at Manhattan Plaza

For its Manhattan Plaza site, Gravity collaborated with Con Ed to access spare capacity power from two utility rooms on 42nd Street and Ninth Avenue. This provides approximately 2,400 amps of power – a rare concentration of capacity, even for New York City.

Strategic Location Selection

Cohen explained that extensive location scouting led to the selection of this initial site. Proximity to power was crucial, but not the only factor.

The location boasts a dedicated entrance on 42nd Street and is situated between Ninth and Tenth Avenues, offering convenient access to Times Square, the city center, and the Lincoln Tunnel, providing connections to New Jersey.

Gravity’s Vision for Ubiquitous Charging

“Our goal is to provide infrastructure in the locations where cars already are,” Cohen said. “Within our coverage area, drivers should never have to worry about finding a charge, as it will be available where their vehicle is parked.”

He highlighted the space constraints of dense urban environments like Manhattan and Chicago, where cars are typically parked on curbs or within garages, necessitating specialized equipment designed for these limitations.

Design and User Experience

Design is central to Gravity’s business model, encompassing both the physical space and the charging equipment. The company is partnering with architect Jasmit Rangr, known for integrating buildings with their surroundings, to create attractive and welcoming charging hubs.

“This is an opportunity to showcase a vision of parking areas free from pollution and oil spills,” Cohen stated.

Renderings depict modern, well-lit spaces, a stark contrast to the typical dark and grimy city parking garages. Rangr has also incorporated interactive touchscreens into the designs, allowing users to monitor and adjust their vehicle’s charging process.

Simplified Equipment and Seamless Integration

Cohen emphasized the importance of standardized and simplified charging equipment. He noted that current public charging solutions often involve fragmented software, hardware, and payment processing systems.

Gravity has collaborated with a manufacturing partner to consolidate these elements, creating a more streamlined user experience, encompassing both the front-end interface and the back-end operations.

Charging Capabilities

The first Gravity site will feature approximately 22 fast chargers, three intermediate chargers, and several slow chargers.

The fast chargers will operate at up to 180 kW, enabling each plug to deliver 90 kW of power even when two vehicles are connected to a single installation. Cohen asserts that true fast charging requires at least 80 kW, contrasting it with some providers offering only 62.5 kW.

He also noted that 400 amp charging cables can deliver over 80 kW to even smaller battery packs, such as those found in Teslas.

The intermediate chargers will provide 24 kW to 30 kW of power, charging vehicles within one to three hours. The slow chargers will offer overnight or six-to-eight-hour charging using 11 kW equipment.

Fleet Charging and the Yellow Cab Vision

A significant portion of the parking spaces will be occupied by Gravity’s fleet of Tesla Model Y Yellow Cabs, which will charge overnight. The idea of electrifying the iconic Yellow Cab fleet was the initial impetus for developing the charging infrastructure.

Cohen expressed his admiration for the Yellow Cab as a cultural institution and sought to revitalize it through electrification, recognizing the challenges of charging a large fleet.

While Tesla has granted Gravity permission to use Model Ys as taxis, the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) has not yet approved the vehicle for use as a yellow cab, according to a TLC spokesperson.

Infrastructure as a Key Enabler

“I quickly realized that there’s no charging equipment designed for fleet charging, and the extent of the problem became clear,” Cohen explained. “We began focusing on infrastructure because it’s essential for a model like a Yellow Cab using a Model Y, which demands high utilization and scale.”

Pilot Program and Regulatory Hurdles

Currently, 18 Tesla Model 3s and one Kia Niro EV operate as taxis in NYC, but none are operated by Gravity.

Cohen anticipates receiving a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) from the TLC in the coming weeks to continue its Model Y pilot program, but the TLC maintains that Gravity was never approved as a pilot participant. The agency has not yet responded to requests for clarification regarding ongoing discussions with Gravity.

This situation echoes a recent issue with Revel, which also faced scrutiny from the TLC for launching a fleet of Model Ys and attempting to operate a ride-hail service.

Scaling Up and Future Outlook

In the interim, Gravity is focused on expanding its equipment installations to facilitate fleet growth.

“People often view mobility as a drain on resources, but I believe that mobility and infrastructure can be solved together, creating opportunities for substantial margins through utilization,” Cohen concluded.

Update: This article has been updated to reflect new information from TLC about its electric vehicle pilot.