Free cell phone lot chargers make ROC pickups smarter for EVs
ROC’s EV charging sits in the free Cell Phone Lot, not in the main garage, which makes it handy for short pickups and quick top‑ups. Mapco confirms the chargers are in this lot, but doesn’t publish network details or pricing; reviewers say they behave like typical Level 2 units. Figure on adding some range during a 20–40 minute wait, not refilling an empty battery before a Toronto run.
The EV spots share space with regular waiting traffic, and drivers on Google note that the few charging bays sometimes get ICE’d by non‑EVs sitting there for arrivals. There’s no posted reservation system, no app queue, and no idle‑fee enforcement mentioned in reviews, so access is truly first‑come, first‑served. If the spots are taken, you’re back to standard cell phone lot rules: engine off, eyes on the arrivals board.
Regulars who fly out of ROC say they plan arrivals to the airport about 30 minutes ahead of landing to make these chargers worth it. That usually yields a modest bump in range, enough to offset a 30–50 mile drive back toward Buffalo, Syracuse, or the Finger Lakes. One reviewer even calls out choosing ROC’s cell lot specifically because “they’ve got EV chargers there,” which is still rare among smaller New York airports.
Watch out for non‑EVs in the marked spots and for the slower pace of Level 2 charging if you show up nearly empty. Don’t count on this lot for a same‑day DC‑fast equivalent. Practical tip: check your arriving flight’s status and aim to hit the cell phone lot 20–40 minutes before touchdown; if a charger is free, plug in, set a timer on your phone, and roll to the terminal as soon as your passenger texts they’re at the curb.