July 2, 2024

re:Charge and CDTA Launch First Universal Wireless Charging Stations for Electric Bikes

With Partners Shared Mobility Inc and Drop Mobility, the New Charging Station Will Be Used to Charge CDPHP Cycle! Electric Bicycles

AMSTERDAM, NY (July 2, 2024) re:Charge, an NY-based company developing universal wireless charging solutions for electric bikes and scooters, and the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) announced the deployment of a new universal wireless charging solution for electric micromobility bicycles in Amsterdam, NY, in support of CDTA’s CDPHP Cycle! bikeshare program. This pilot program is the first in the US to use wireless power transfer to charge a variety of shared electric micromobility bicycles and includes a charging station with four charging docks installed at Mohawk Valley Gateway Park.

“At re:Charge, we believe that electric bikes, scooters and other types of shared micromobility will play a larger role in transportation, sustainability and equity worldwide,” said Jeff Olson, re:Charge co-founder. “The electric micromobility charging stations that we are launching will help make it possible for more people to ride more bikes more often.”

On-street universal Charging as a Service (CaaS) from re:Charge can dramatically reduce operating costs and increase vehicle availability, making shared bikes and scooters a more safe, attractive, available, and affordable transportation option. According to McKinsey, the cost of shared mobility operators driving cars and trucks around to swap batteries for electric bikes and scooters represents more than half of each shared mobility system’s operating cost.

“The re:Charge stations will help us provide a high-quality, electric bikeshare service to our customers while reducing the system’s operating costs and increasing efficiencies,” said CDTA CEO Carm Basile. “We want to thank our incredible partners at CDPHP for their support of our bikeshare program over the last 8 years. With more than 400 electric bikes in our fleet, we look forward to working with re:Charge to expand the charging network throughout our regional service area.

As part of the pilot, five CDPHP electric bikes from CDPHP Cycle! have been equipped with a new front basket that incorporates a wireless power receiver. Users of the CDPHP Cycle! in Amsterdam can simply return one of the five charger equipped bikes to the charging stations, and charging will begin automatically. The stations have been installed and operated at no cost to CDTA. The pilot project is expected to last 16 weeks.

The re:Charge solution uses an innovative, universal, wireless power transfer technology that eliminates the need for plugs and wires during charging, which can be easily damaged and are usually specific for each vehicle model. The charging stations were funded by grants from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), NY accelerator, Innovate 518, and private investors.

“Thank you to re:Charge and all the partners for their investment in what is a great concept,” said Congressman Paul Tonko. “It’s an exciting time as we launch this first public, universal wireless charging station in my hometown.”

The Mayor of the City of Amsterdam, Michael Cinquanti, said, “We are pleased re:Charge and CDTA selected our city as the location of this important pilot. We expect this will attract visitors to Amsterdam along the Empire State Trail while helping us meet our sustainability goals. We fully support this initiative and hope to see it grow in the near future.”

Adam Ruder, Assistant Director for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s Clean Transportation Group, said, “New York has become a hotbed of innovation, especially in the transportation electrification space. We were proud supporters of re:Charge in their technology development phase and are pleased to see re:Charge launch its system to the public. We hope this technology will spread not just in the Albany area, but around the country.”

“As an engineer, seeing the implementation of cutting-edge solutions like universal wireless charging stations in the City of Amsterdam is incredibly inspiring,” said Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, who’s on the New York State Assembly’s Energy Committee. “This first-of-its-kind program will help our community embrace more sustainable transportation and make electric bikes more accessible, paving the way for a greener and more connected future.”

NY State Assemblymember Pat Fahy said, “We need to see more innovations like this being made here in NY State, and it’s inspiring to see the local founders of this company creating a solution with a potential global impact.”

Stephen Bratspis of Shared Mobility Inc, the operator of CDPHP Cycle!, said, “We are collaborating with re:Charge because their “Charging as a Service – CaaS” solution helps us to make our operations more efficient, improves the rider experience, and allows us to focus on serving our customers. We would like to work with re:Charge to expand our collaboration in other communities.”

“From the City of Amsterdam (NL) I congratulate the City of Amsterdam (NY) with this magnificent initiative that makes cycling glamorous. We applaud you from over here, and whenever we can work together, we will,” said Pascal van den Noordt, Executive Director of Velo Mondial in Amsterdam, NL.

About re:Charge

re:Charge is powering the global shift towards a sustainable future. Through our universal charging solution and innovative charging-as-a-service business model, we are bringing cost-effective, safe and equitable mobility to communities around the world. For more information, please visit www.recharge-e.com.

About CDTA

CDTA is the premier mobility provider in the Capital Region, providing local, express, commuter and bus rapid transit services across its six-county service area. CDTA also operates the regional bike-share program, CDPHP Cycle! and carshare program, DRIVE. CDTA owns and operates the Joseph L. Bruno Rail Station and the Saratoga Springs Train Station. CDTA was named the 2017 Best Mid-Sized Transportation System in North America by the American Public Transportation Association. For more information, please visit www.cdta.org.

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