Curbside Level 2 Electric Vehicle Charging
Example of Level 2 EV charger installed on a utility pole.
Project Description
As of August 19, 2024, Seattle City Light has installed 58 public Level 2 curbside electric vehicle (EV) chargers at 31 curbside locations throughout the City of Seattle. City Light is offering this service to provide access to EV charging for residents who normally cannot utilize off-street parking to charge their vehicles.
What will this service provide?
Curbside charging stations will provide the public with access to Level 2 EV charging next in residential neighborhoods in Seattle. After installation, Seattle City Light owns, operates, and maintains the EV chargers. Anyone who drives an EV will be able to park on the street next to the charger while charging their vehicle. The chargers are open to the public, available on a first-come, first-served basis and cannot be reserved.
The Level 2 EV chargers installed under this program will provide up to 9.6 kilowatts (kW). The infrastructure can provide a typical EV with up to 30 miles of range per hour of charge time. Level 2 EV chargers are frequently used for multiple hours at a time, such as when a car is parked overnight at home or while the driver is running errands or at work.
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How much will this service cost?
Drivers pay a per kilowatt-hour (kWh) fee to use the chargers. The current cost to charge at a City Light Level 2 charger is $0.21 per kilowatt-hour (kWh). One kWh provides a typical EV with enough energy to travel over three miles. The fees are designed to pay for the electricity, operations, maintenance, and repair costs while offsetting the initial purchase and installation costs.
Why is this service being offered?
52% of City Light’s customers rent their homes with the majority living in multifamily dwellings. This concentration of residents and neighborhood density causes many Seattle residents to use street parking near their homes. Older single-family homes, apartments, condominiums, and houseboats frequently do not have off-street parking like a driveway, garage, or parking lot making it difficult for r residents to provide their own EV charging when parking on the street.
The Curbside project directly supports the Transportation Electrification Strategic Investment Plan by helping to expand charging solutions for multifamily residents who typically lack these options. It also increases equitable access to transportation electrification for multifamily residents particularly those in underserved and underrepresented communities.
The City of Seattle set a goal to reduce transportation emissions 83% by 2030. To reach this goal, City Light is encouraging residents to use low-emission travel by public transit, biking, walking, and other options. However, many will still rely on personal vehicles for some of their trips. Seattle City Light is installing these chargers as part of a comprehensive portfolio of transportation electrification investments and services to increase zero-emission electric transportation options throughout its service area.
How did City Light select the charger locations?
Potential charger locations were gathered in 2022 through a public submission process with more than 1,800 requests received. A panel of subject matter experts from City Light and Seattle Department of Transportation reviewed each request based on a number of criteria including location, number of requests in a given area, availability of infrastructure, and property type.
Once initial selections were made, City Light informed the property owners or homeowner associations for each property adjacent to and across the street from each proposed EV charging location. Recipients were encouraged to respond to an online survey to voice support or opposition to the charger and were able to ask questions or provide feedback.
Are the charging locations available for use?
There are currently 30 charging sites that are operational and available for use by the public. The remaining charging site from this pilot is expected to be operational by the end of 2024.
Help us understand your EV charging needs as we plan for new public chargers in our service area. Suggest a new location, or see what others have suggested.