Islanders, XL Fleet Team Up on Electrical Charging Stations at UBS Arena
The electricity around the New York Islanders’ new UBS Arena at Belmont Park, set to open next season, is palpable—and will apparently extend to the parking lot.
The Islanders, the Arena Group and XL Fleet have an agreement to strategically deploy and operate at least 1,000 electric vehicle charging stations in the lot adjacent to the new $955 million arena, which is expected to seat nearly 19,000 for special events and about 17,000 for National Hockey League games.
“UBS Arena and the New York Islanders are forward-thinking sustainability leaders, building the infrastructure to support the current and rapidly growing demand for vehicle electrification and charging stations in the area,” said Tod Hynes, founder and president of XL Fleet. “This location provides an opportunity to deploy critical EV infrastructure in a very capital efficient manner that can be replicated across similar facilities throughout the country.”
The arena project will ultimately include retail components on 43 acres, owned by the state of New York, adjacent to the famous horse racing track. Set between JFK and LaGuardia airports and just 15 minutes by freeway from Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets, it will be the metropolitan area’s only arena built specifically for hockey.
XL Fleet is a leading provider of vehicle electrification solutions for commercial and municipal fleets in North America. The hockey team and UBS Arena officials will determine where the electric charging stations will be placed within the parameters of the parking lot shared by the Arena and the Belmont Park racetrack.
“Partnering with XL Fleet to advance our electric vehicle infrastructure illustrates the groundbreaking work being done at UBS Arena to prioritize sustainability throughout our operations,” said Hank Abate, president of arena operations at UBS Arena. “XL Fleet’s ability to provide a full scope of electrification services will be a huge advantage for our patrons as well as the commercial and municipal fleets in the surrounding communities who could rely on this infrastructure.”
Construction of the arena is nearing completion and is expected to be ready this fall, when the NHL anticipates a return to the normal pacing of an 82-game season after two seasons shortened by the coronavirus.
The current 56-game campaign began in January, and the Islanders are playing their 28 home games in their longtime home, Nassau Coliseum, for the final time.
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