Moving

San Francisco to speed up EV charging with new laws

January 12, 2022

by Christopher Carey

San Francisco Mayor London Breed has announced plans to update legislation to speed up the creation of new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the city.

Changes to the city’s planning code mean gas stations and parking lots could be converted into electric vehicle charging stations. The processes of the planning department would also be accelerated.

In particular, the legislation adds a definition of ‘electric vehicle charging station’ to the ‘vehicle retail’ land use category and specifies where this new use is permitted.

Mayor Breed said: “Putting the city on the path to a healthier, cleaner and fairer future will require significant investment to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. As we look to transition to electric vehicles and eliminate emissions from our transport sector, we need to update the planning code to facilitate the opening of standalone charging stations.”

Goals for 2040

According to a 2021 study by the International Council on Clean Transportation, San Francisco needs to increase the current number of public charging stations from 1,016 to 2,000 by 2025.

Electric vehicles currently account for about 11 percent of new registrations in San Francisco — one of the highest in the US — but the city wants that number to be 100 percent by 2040.

Expanding access to affordable and convenient charging will be key to this goal, especially for low-income households and tenants who do not have access to charging at home.

Nearly 70 percent of city dwellers live in apartment buildings, and most don’t have access to off-street or home parking.

For these residents, fear of public charging is a major barrier to EV adoption and this legislation seeks to address that challenge.

“Public electric vehicle charging stations are essential to ensure widespread and equitable access to electric vehicles throughout San Francisco,” said Rafael Mandelman, chairman of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority.

“The federal infrastructure law earmarks at least $384 million for EV charging in California, and we must be prepared to leverage that investment locally. This regulation will lay the groundwork and remove regulatory barriers to EV charging citywide.”

Proposed legislation is heard by the Planning Commission before being presented to the full Board of Directors.

Image: Noya Fields (Flickr)

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