NYCEDC, Matcha Celebrate EV Charging Launch at Brooklyn Army Terminal

NYCEDC's Pilots at BAT Program Welcomes New EV Charging Pilot, Furthering Sunset Park's Future as a Climate Innovation Hub and Driver of Green Economy

Partnership Advances Green Economy Action Plan and Climate Innovation Goals, Bringing Accessible Clean Transportation to New Yorkers

BROOKLYN, NY-Today, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) welcomed electric vehicle (EV) charging startup Matcha to Brooklyn Army Terminal's (BAT) Pilots at BAT program. Matcha's emerging technology brings EV charging software and solutions to multifamily, office, and parking garage properties across the city. NYCEDC and Matcha co-hosted the event to bring together regional climate tech investors, real estate developers, property managers, and community organizations.

Matcha's partnership with BAT serves as an exciting demonstration of a broader opportunity for the tri-state area to deploy subsidized and turnkey EV charging stations in underserved and environmental justice communities. Their design aims to reduce the economic burden on landlords and addresses an obstacle for underserved residents who wish to use an electric vehicle but lack nearby charging.

NYCEDC launched the Pilots at BAT program launched in September 2023 to activate a key real estate asset and bring climate innovation projects to Brooklyn. This announcement builds on New York City's "Green Economy Action Plan", announced by Mayor Adams in his 2024 State of the City address, which lays out a series of commitments and strategies to grow the city's green economy while positioning New Yorkers of all backgrounds to benefit from the nearly 400,000 projected green-collar jobs in New York City by 2040.

"Piloting new and innovative technology at the Brooklyn Army Terminal not only advances the Green Economy Action Plan but puts New York City on the frontlines of our fight against climate change," said NYCEDC President & CEO Andrew Kimball. "Solutions from Matcha and other startups piloting at BAT will bring much needed sustainable infrastructure to New Yorkers across all five boroughs and are integral to accelerating a just green transition. With projects like this, and the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal a few blocks to the north under construction, Sunset Park is poised to become a center for clean innovation and manufacturing."

"We are so excited to collaborate with NYCEDC who has helped to bring our innovative charging solutions to the New York City market," said Chris Kluesener, CEO, Matcha. "Our goal is to make EV charging accessible and convenient for everyone, particularly for renters. We're not just providing chargers; we're delivering charging - our incentive is to ensure they stay running over time, with a best-in-class user experience for all drivers, and smart software to dynamically manage energy consumption."

A critical component to the Green Economy Action Plan is the creation of the Harbor Climate Collaborative, a partnership between the Brooklyn Navy Yard, NYCEDC, and the Trust for Governors Island, to collectively invest $725 million to build a green economy ecosystem across 6-million-square-feet and 72 acres linked by the NYC Ferry across New York Harbor. As part of the collaborative, NYCEDC will invest up to $100 million to develop a world-class Climate Innovation Hub at BAT, which will serve 150 startups over 10 years-generating $2.6 billion in economic impact and creating 600 jobs-and provide local workforce training and job placement for New Yorker of all backgrounds.

Matcha's expansion into New York City addresses the unmet needs for charging access among renters and rideshare drivers. Matcha offers qualified properties a no cost deployment option, providing landlords with free-chargers and a profit-sharing model to save owners up to $50,000 per charging station in operations and management costs. Matcha EV's pioneering software, MatchaOS, is designed to help drivers find charging stations when they need them, while managing energy usage efficiently, especially during peak demand periods. The software also includes advanced demand response features, ensuring a balanced and sustainable energy distribution.

Matcha is the latest EV charging provider approved by NYSERDA to support properties across New York state. As a Charge Ready 2.0 qualified EV Charging network software provider, Matcha partners with property owners to maximize available incentives and further reduce or completely avoid installation costs, with qualified apartments, workplaces, and garages benefitting from up to 100% of costs covered, further accelerating the City's electrification goals.

"In an era of extreme weather and climate change, we must be doing everything in our power to reach our climate goals for green jobs expansion and vehicle emission reduction in all corners of our city, especially in our vulnerable environmental justice communities," said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. "This innovative partnership between NYCEDC and Matcha captures this energy, increasing access to affordable and accessible electric vehicle charging."

"Today's launch of Matcha EV Charging at Brooklyn Army Terminal marks a significant milestone in our commitment to advancing sustainable transportation solutions across New York City," said Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes. "By partnering with Matcha, NYCEDC is not only fostering innovation in clean tech but also ensuring that Sunset Park becomes a beacon of climate action and economic growth. With multiple projects underway, which as a state-of-the-art Climate Innovation Hub, this initiative underscores our dedication to building a greener, more equitable future for all New Yorkers."

"We are immensely proud to celebrate our portfolio company Matcha's pilot at the Brooklyn Army Terminal and their approval by NYSERDA to expand across New York," said Murat Aktihanoglu, Co-Founder, & Managing Partner, ERA and Remarkable Ventures. "We want to underscore the importance of climate innovation and our commitment to investing in climate companies working to help New York City and the world meet their climate goals."

"The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce has long been a proponent of emerging technologies and we are excited to welcome Matcha to Sunset Park," said Randy Peers, President & CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. "Since Mayor Adams took office, his administration and the NYCEDC has championed the Green Economy, which is so important to the sustained economic development of Brooklyn and New York City as a whole. New Yorkers are the real winners of this new partnership which aims to make EV more affordable to our neighbors and local businesses."

The climate innovations in Sunset Park are one piece of a city-wide initiative to expand EV use throughout the five boroughs. New York's economy relies heavily on road-based transit, and emissions associated with traditional vehicle use are a primary target for achieving the state's goal of a 30% reduction by 2030. Matcha's EV charging promotes clean transportation and extends the opportunity for New Yorkers to drive and ride in electric vehicles. Their modern infrastructure supports New York City's Electrifying New York plan to place charging stations throughout the city and increase consumer adoption of EVs.

Sunset Park in South Brooklyn is poised to be an emerging hub for climate innovation. The waterfront district has extensive industrial infrastructure, a diverse array of tenants and uses, and connection to major transportation networks. NYCEDC's primary assets in Sunset Park include the Brooklyn Army Terminal, South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, where construction began last month, and the Made in New York Campus. Each of these assets provides unique opportunities for innovation and business development, and they support a just transition to decarbonize New York City's economy.

In addition to advancing New York City's "Green Economy Action Plan", the Pilots at BAT program build on Mayor Adams' efforts to develop a "Harbor of the Future," a multifaceted initiative announced by Mayor Adams in his 2024 State of the City address to reimagine New York City's waterfront and fuel 21st-century growth and innovation.

In February, Mayor Adams, the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT), and NYCEDC, in partnership with Newlab, activated the first of five public e-battery charging locations as part of the city's new six-month pilot program to test safe, public charging of e-bikes by an initial group of 100 delivery workers. Including locations at BAT in Sunset Park and Essex Market in the Lower East Side, managed by NYCEDC.

About Matcha Electric
Matcha is a Boston based EV charging software and solutions company specializing in innovative EV charging deployments with affordable and no cost solutions. Our flagship product, MatchaOS, helps renters find charging stations, manage energy usage when charging, and coordinate with neighbors to utilize the stations over time, all while offering turnkey deployment options for landlords. Connect with Matcha on Linkedin, Facebook, and Instagram.

About NYCEDC
New York City Economic Development Corporation is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization that works for a vibrant, inclusive, and globally competitive economy for all New Yorkers. We take a comprehensive approach, through four main strategies: strengthen confidence in NYC as a great place to do business; grow innovative sectors with a focus on equity; build neighborhoods as places to live, learn, work, and play; and deliver sustainable infrastructure for communities and the city's future economy. To learn more about what we do, visit us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Explore Press Releases