XL Fleet, a provider of vehicle electrification solutions, has reached a strategic partnership with UBS Arena and the New York Islanders that includes the opportunity to explore the deployment and operation of 1,000 electric vehicle charging stations at the new UBS Arena, New York’s next premier entertainment and sports venue and future home of the New York Islanders, the company announced Feb. 25 in a media release.

The 43-acre site has the potential to become one of the largest electric vehicle charging sites in the United States, with an optimal location in the metropolitan New York region near both LaGuardia and JFK Airports.

The partnership will enable UBS Arena with the opportunity to explore XL Fleet’s leading suite of electrification solutions to quickly and affordably deploy a large-scale EV infrastructure for a wide range of users, including arena guests and nearby fleets who can charge during off-peak hours.

UBS Arena is being developed in partnership with Oak View Group, LLC, founding partner of the Arena Alliance, a consortium of over 35 arenas and stadiums across the U.S. In 2021, the Islanders will move to UBS Arena, which will be the first venue of its kind in New York built to achieve LEED V4 standards while featuring state-of-the-art sustainable technology.

This partnership enables the Arena to provide patrons and employees access to EV charging while using its expansive and strategically located footprint and utility infrastructure to help meet the growing demand for EV charging in the New York metro region. To support this project, XL Fleet will leverage the breadth of its full electrification portfolio, including its XL Grid division launched in December 2020. XL Fleet plans to deploy and manage a robust suite of electrification infrastructure, including solar power generation, energy storage and vehicle charging stations, and to equip and deploy fleets of electric vehicles for use by UBS Arena and the New York Islanders.

“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,” said Tod Hynes, Founder & President of XL Fleet.

Colleen Calhoun, vice president and general manager of XL Fleet’s XL Grid division, said, “Lack of access to charging infrastructure is one of the top obstacles to electrifying more vehicles, and we are proud to partner with UBS Arena and the Islanders to solve that problem more quickly in the New York metropolitan area. Through this partnership, we can help optimize access to charging infrastructure and scale that capacity as the need grows.”

Hank Abate, President of Arena Operations at UBS Arena, said, “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.”