Municipal Installations

The City first installed chargers in the nineties some of which are still around but are quickly becoming obsolete as they are not standardized and there are not many vehicles able to use those types of chargers.  More than a decade later in 2009, the City installed three chargers with the new J1772 connection standard in front of City Hall to create the Green Vehicle Showcase.  It is this connection that all new electric vehicles have so they can charge from any charger.

The City is involved in local and regional plans to develop a comprehensive network of EV charging stations so people can ‘top off’ while running errands, going to dinner, seeing a concert…By the end of 2011, San Francisco expects to have approximately 80 Level 2 chargers installed in municipally owned and operated garages including the San Francisco International Airport.  Until December 31, 2013, those chargers may be used for free (parking fees still apply).  These installations are being funded by ChargePoint America, a program from Coulomb Technologies which is providing dozens of chargers for free and by grants from the US Department of Energy, the California Energy Commission, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority.

In the Bay Area, there are plans for approximately 2000 Level 2 chargers, 50 DC Fast Chargers and a few battery swap stations which will allow specially made electric vehicles to swap out their batteries within minutes with a fully charged battery (see Taxi Activity for more information on battery swap stations). 

With a target of making the Bay Area the EV Capital of the nation, the EV Strategic Council was created to address charging infrastructure planning, electric vehicle penetration and to develop an outreach strategy.  The Council is populated with representatives from the Bay Area counties, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, advocacy groups, EV manufacturers, EV charger manufacturers and other EV stakeholders.