hoboken

Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla and the City of Hoboken today announced that Jolt Charge, Inc. (Jolt) will become the new operator of 14 of the City’s on-street electric vehicle (EV) charging stations beginning Jan. 5, providing additional revenue and services to the City and community.  

The transition follows approval by the Hoboken City Council and a competitive procurement process to ensure continued operation and maintenance of the City’s on-street EV charging infrastructure at no cost to taxpayers. 

Under a contract, originally authorized by the Hoboken City Council in July 2022, the City’s previous partner, Volta, installed 14 on-street EV charging stations throughout Hoboken at no cost to the City. Since October 2023, these stations have supported more than 10,000 charging sessions and delivered over 700,000 electric vehicle miles,  

Under the new agreement, Jolt will operate and maintain the 14 on-street EV charging stations at no cost to the City and pay the City 54 percent more in monthly rent than the previous operator. This increased revenue will be reinvested into essential municipal services, infrastructure improvements, and sustainability initiatives, to help advance the City’s Climate Action goals of achieving net-zero energy by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050.

The initial contract term is two years, with three one-year renewal options. Additionally, Jolt will offer monthly maintenance, charging station wait time predictions through the Jolt app, and more. 

“The continued expansion and reliability of electric vehicle charging infrastructure is essential to Hoboken’s sustainability and climate goals,” said Mayor Bhalla. “Through our new partnership with Jolt Charge, we are ensuring that residents have access to dependable EV charging while responsibly generating a recurring revenue stream for the City through monthly rental fees. It is a win-win for the City that will benefit the community and our climate."

“We’re proud to partner with the City of Hoboken to strengthen its on-street EV charging program,” said William Watts, General Manager US Network & Operations at Jolt Charge. “Our goal is to ensure both Level 2 and DC fast charging stations remain reliable, accessible, and easy to use for residents and visitors, while also delivering increased value back to the City. Jolt is proud to support Hoboken’s commitment to sustainable transportation and to help communities adapt as electric vehicle adoption continues to grow.”  

Fees will be set at a reduced rate of $.35 per kWh for L2 charging, and $0.50 per kWh for DCFC fast charging, both with a $1 connection fee.  

The 14 Jolt charging stations are an important component of Hoboken’s municipally-owned and publicly accessible electric vehicle charging network, which includes a total of 28 level 2 ports and eight DC fast charging ports. 

Users can download the Jolt app via the Apple and Google app stores and learn more about Jolt by visiting www.joltcharge.com/us.  

For more information about the City’s EV-charging options, go to www.hobokennj.gov/resources/electric-vehicle-charging-hoboken.