As electric vehicles (EVs) slowly shift to become the preferred method of automobile transportation, the infrastructure of charging stations will need to continue to grow rapidly, especially for those without driveways to charge vehicles.
Utility agency Seattle City Light plans to begin installing public curbside Level 2 chargers across the city, reports Charged EVs. These chargers will be paid for and maintained by the utility at no cost to residents.
Each Level 2 charger will offer charging capacity of up to 9.6 kW, and drivers will simply pay a per-kWh fee starting at 20 cents per kWh.
Seattle City Light is currently selecting locations for the chargers through an opt-in program, which lets any resident of the area request one in front of their homes.
In response, the agency plans to evaluate requests to decide where the chargers could be most effective.
“Many Seattle residents must 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. It is usually very difficult or not possible for residents to provide their own EV charging when parking on the street,” explains Seattle City Light, as to why the service is being offered.
In a statement, Seattle City Light said it would choose locations that “best support the equity and environmental goals of the Transportation Electrification Strategic Investment Plan.”
The opt-in process for Seattle City Light’s curbside chargers began in Spring 2022, and the agency plans to evaluate opted-in requests over the course of the 2022 summer.
Installations for the curbside Level 2 chargers are expected to begin in winter 2022 through early 2023.
Reports from earlier this year show that the U.S. government will need over 100,000 chargers to support a fully electrified fleet — a move that President Biden has been keen to work toward.
