Tesla Floats Idea Of Charging Stations In Montauk Parking Lot

Montauk might soon be home to 12 parking spots equipped with electric chargers, as the automotive company Tesla is pursuing a proposal to install the energy-efficient pumps in the public parking lot between White’s Drug and Department Store and the post office.

The proposal, which must be approved by the East Hampton Town Board, calls for eight parking spots to be set up, with charging stations exclusive for the use of Tesla drivers. Tesla would chip in four more spots that could charge any electric vehicle.

Tesla has partnered with Electrify America on the project, said Sylvia Overby, deputy supervisor and the Town Board liaison to the Montauk Citizens Advisory Committee, which has been discussing Tesla’s proposal.

Electrify America was created in 2016 when Volkswagen settled with U.S. regulators over a diesel emissions scam. Created with $2 billion in funds from Volkswagen, Electrify America will join with Tesla in putting up “well over a million dollars” for the Montauk project, according to Kim Shaw, the environmental protection director of East Hampton Town. The four chargers compatible with all electric vehicles would be installed by Electrify America, said Ms. Overby.

Should the plan be approved, the spaces will be restricted to two-hour parking, and will remain open to non-electric vehicles as well, Ms. Overby said. “Whoever gets there, gets there,” she said.

Ms. Overby said that there is a “split” among members of the MCAC in terms of support for the charging stations.

“There are a lot of mixed feelings about it,” said Laraine Creegan, who works for the Montauk Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the MCAC. “I think the general feel is that [the charging stations] should be out of the way, maybe by the state park on Edison,” she said. The committee will discuss the proposal at its meeting on Monday, August 5.

Some members are concerned about installing what they view as advertisements for Tesla in the town parking lot, she said. Each station that is compatible with Tesla vehicles only will be “around 4 feet tall, with ‘Tesla’ across the top in bright red letters,” Ms. Overby said.

“East Hampton and Montauk don’t need to be branded anymore,” said Ms. Overby. “I don’t feel it supports our character.”

Conversely, the advantages of the plan may include steps toward making Montauk more “green” as well as the possibility of boosting business along Main Street, Ms. Overby said. East Hampton Town is currently trying to be “100 percent renewable by 2020,” she said. Though that goal will likely be met a few months late, charging stations in Montauk might help to bring more environmentally-friendly vehicles spewing fewer carbon emissions to the area, she said.

In terms of increasing pedestrian traffic to local businesses, Ms. Overby said that “people sometimes come to businesses because of electric charging stations.” If the plan is approved, people who need to charge their cars for a few hours might spend that time shopping at Montauk stores.

The charging stations will not be built until next spring, according to Ms. Overby. And before any plan is approved, the Town Board will make sure input from the MCAC is heard, she said.

As of Tuesday, an agenda for a Town Board meeting on Thursday, August 1, did not list the charging stations as a topic of discussion.