EV demand surges as war drives up oil prices

Daily Point

Charging stations on LI fail to keep pace with growing numbers

Soaring oil prices due to the war in the Middle East have one distinct winner — the EV.

After a slump in sales for electric vehicles on Long Island and nationwide, demand for secondhand models is up almost 20% so far in 2026, according to a report from Cox Automotive. But are there enough chargers to meet the growing demand?

Of the 2.37 million vehicles registered on Long Island, 3.7% or 87,773 are EVs as of early February. Of those, 46,228 EVs were registered in Nassau County, and 41,545 in Suffolk, making up 27% of the total number of EVs in the state, according to the latest data from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Six in 10 of Long Island’s EVs are battery-run, with four in 10 plug-in hybrids.

Yet, Long Island has only 502 publicly accessible charging stations with 1,756 ports. Of those, 1,145 are Level 2 ports — the common 240-volt chargers found in homes, workplaces and many stations — while there are only 611 direct current fast chargers, or DCFCs. NYSERDA estimates there are roughly 64 EVs for each Level 2 port on Long Island compared with the state average of 18.47 per port. That means longer wait times at charging stations and the need to set out planned routes for easy access to charging facilities.

There isn’t publicly available data on how many homes have installed charging ports but considering that more than 80% of housing in the region consists of single-family homes, it is safe to assume many EV owners charge their cars at home. Additionally, Tesla’s recent modification of its fast chargers to support most other EVs revolutionized the charging infrastructure. But the remaining gap is a large one to fill. A 2024 report by Drive Electric LI highlighted Patchogue, Long Beach, Huntington Station and other areas with higher concentration of multiunit housing structures that would benefit from more DCFC ports.

Electric and hybrid vehicle registrations dropped sharply on Long Island and elsewhere in the last quarter of 2025 following the end of a $7,500 tax credit for new electric vehicles — the time of year when car sales are generally at their highest. In Nassau, 1,666 EVs were registered between October and December compared with 2,729 registrations in the last quarter of 2024, and 3,786 in 2023. A total of 1,567 EVs were registered in Suffolk at the end of 2025, significantly lower than 3,342 in 2024, and 2,499 in 2023.

According to Bloomberg, U.S. drivers are expected to pay an additional $1.65 billion at the gas station this week, after the conflict in the Middle East caused oil prices to surge to their highest level since 2022. This has stirred interest again for EVs on Long Island and elsewhere. Used car retailer CarMax saw a 9.3% jump in searches for EVs, hybrids and plug-in hybrids between March 2 and March 15 compared with February, a spokesperson for the company shared with The Point. Also, many EV leases have expired, creating more supply for the secondhand market.

According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of regular gas as of Wednesday was $3.645 in Suffolk County and $3.640 in Nassau.

— Karthika Namboothiri karthika.namboothiri@newsday.com

Pencil Point

The silencers

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Final Point

Huntington Town group gets the message out: Support Melville housing plan

Thursday marks a key milestone for the Town of Huntington's newly established overlay district in Melville — and advocates are mobilizing.

The town will hold a public hearing on the first proposed development within the new zone, called the Melville Town Corridor. The plan for the property at the corner of Maxess Road and Corporate Center Drive is known as Melville Crossing and calls for 110 condominiums and 290 rental units, along with green space, a pool and additional retail and commercial space.

To support the controversial development, the Huntington Township Housing Coalition began a texting campaign, focused on residents between the ages of 18 and 35.

"Quick question — would you support a new walkable neighborhood in Melville with housing, parks, restaurants and 20% affordable homes?" reads the text, also advertising the hearing and asking for support.

Housing Coalition president Hunter Gross told The Point that about 70 individuals responded "yes" to the request for support and nearly 100 people have sent a direct letter to elected officials.

Advocates and dissenters alike are watching the Melville Crossing initiative carefully. While the Huntington Town Board approved the overlay district in late 2024, there've been legal challenges to the zoning — although one was already dismissed. And Half Hollow Hills school district Superintendent John O'Farrell wrote a letter last week expressing concerns regarding the number of students that the Huntington zone, and additional housing proposals in Babylon, could add.

"It is, and has been, the position of the District to remain neutral and not take a position for or against private development that takes place within our boundaries ..." O'Farrell wrote. "But, it is our hope that our elected officials in the Town recognize the potential risks to the District and establish a fair and equitable arrangement that can be used as a model for all proposed developments in the [Melville Town Corridor overlay district]. Without such an agreement, we are relying on our elected officials to vote in opposition to any proposal that might negatively impact the District."

Meanwhile, it's unclear whether the town will support the Melville Crossing plan, especially because the town board's makeup has shifted since the 2024 approval of the zone, with Democrat Jennifer Hebert winning a seat last year. Hebert previously has said she supported housing in the Melville corridor but that she objected to the way the town handled the zoning.

— Randi F. Marshall randi.marshall@newsday.com

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