South Park Electric Vehicle Charging Station

Project Description

Seattle City Light is sought community feedback on a proposal to install a public electric vehicle (EV) fast charging station in the South Park neighborhood. This charging station is now part of the utility's EV charging network across the service area and provides equitable access to EV charging.

Location

The site is located in the South Park neighborhood on South Sullivan Street and 13th Place South.

Project Details

• The project includes two curbside EV fast chargers on South Sullivan Street. Seattle City Light converted two existing street parking spaces to "EV charging only" spaces.
• Drivers would be limited to one hour of parking while charging at these spaces.
• Anyone with an EV capable of fast charging can use the charging station.
• Drivers would need to pay a fee to use the charging station. The fee is designed to pay for the electricity and the cost of building the station. A typical EV can drive about 3.5 miles on 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Seattle City Light's Public Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Program?

City Light is installing publicly accessible EV fast chargers throughout the utility's service area to ensure that neighborhoods have equitable access to EV charging. The utility is running this program to provide a public service to customers and better understand EV charging impacts on the electrical system. The program also supports Seattle's clean transportation initiative, which has goals to remove EV adoption barriers and reduce pollution and carbon emissions across the transportation sector.

The utility currently owns and operates EV fast chargers in North Beacon Hill, SODO, Magnuson Park, Madison-Miller, Alaska Junction, and Tukwila. Additional charging stations are planned in Shoreline, Burien, Belltown, and the Central District.

Why is Seattle City Light proposing this project?

Electric vehicles don't have tailpipes and don't release harmful smog-forming pollutants. Driving an EV can help improve community air quality and public health and help fight against climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Increasing the accessibility of EV chargers in the city will allow people who choose to drive an EV to get the most out of their cars. New and used EVs have become much more affordable and are now in most drivers' price range.

In February 2021, City Light presented to the South Park Neighborhood Association and discussed the idea of building an EV charging station in South Park. Participants at the public meeting showed a strong preference for a charging station at this location.

How might this EV charging station affect South Park?

The proposed project would install two EV fast chargers in the area between the sidewalk and the curb. Each fast charger is roughly half the size of a home refrigerator. Drivers will typically use a fast charger for about 20-30 minutes at a time. City Light estimates this charging station may have up to two vehicles charging per hour during peak usage times of 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

How much will it cost to charge at this proposed charging station?

The 2021 charging fees are listed below.

Why does Seattle City Light think this is a good location for an EV Charging Station?

This location is considered a good site for the following reasons:

• It's next to South Park's business district, so people who use a charger here will be able to walk to nearby businesses while their car is charging.
• It's near 14th Avenue South, one of several main roads in South Park, so drivers will easily see and get to the chargers.
• A charging station at this location is not expected to negatively impact local traffic because it's on the part of South Sullivan Street that isn't open to through traffic.
• The South Park neighborhood doesn't have any publicly accessible EV chargers.