San Francisco, CA -- Mayor London N. Breed today announced the launch of a new pilot program to demonstrate public curbside electric vehicle (EV) charging in San Francisco. For the first time, EV charging providers will be able to install their charging infrastructure at select on-street parking spaces. The pilot aims to gather critical data and insights that will inform a future, larger-scale implementation effort, all while supporting San Francisco's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
This effort also aligns with the Mayor’s Climate Action Plan and EV Roadmap, which includes the goal of increasing electrification of all new registered vehicles to at least 25% by 2030 and reach 100% by 2040. Similarly, the California Air Resources Board established new regulations in 2022 with the goal of ensuring that all new vehicles sold by 2035 will be zero-emission. To achieve these bold goals, the City is expanding EV charging to include curbside charging stations, in addition to off-street options already available for public use, which build on San Francisco’s progress toward installing over 1,700 public chargers by 2030. San Francisco currently has around 1,000 public EV charging stations.
Last year, electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids made up 37% of all new vehicle sales in San Francisco. As the second densest city in America, with many residents living in multi-unit dwellings and lacking access to off-street parking, expanding curbside charging is essential.
“We are taking aggressive steps to dramatically expand our electric vehicle charging infrastructure as part of our Climate Action Plan and to meet the needs of San Franciscans who are quickly adopting the use of electric vehicles,” said Mayor London Breed. “Cars and trucks on our streets generate nearly half of all emissions in San Francisco, impacting the health of our residents, especially in low-income communities of color. This pilot program will not only help us meet this growing demand but advance our broader carbon reduction efforts and contribute to a healthier, cleaner San Francisco.”
Additionally, charger access is currently disproportionately lower in Black and Latino majority neighborhoods and areas with below-median household incomes. Strategically utilizing the curb for charging infrastructure will ensure a more equitable distribution of public charging options and accelerate the transition to electric vehicles.
“We have a lot of work ahead to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, and easily accessible public curbside EV charging will be an important part of the mix,” said District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman. “For much of the last year we have been working with the SFMTA and San Francisco Environment Department to study the feasibility of citywide public curbside charging, and this pilot program is a crucial next step in that effort. By bringing charging to more neighborhoods, we are making it possible for residents without off-street parking to own and charge electric vehicles. I want to thank Mayor Breed for her leadership and for moving quickly to launch this pilot.”
In March, Supervisor Mandelman, in partnership with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) and the San Francisco Environment Department, announced an initiative to conduct a Curbside EV Charging Feasibility Study. This ongoing feasibility study, set to conclude later this year, aims to develop a framework for a successful curbside program in San Francisco, guiding the installation, operation, and maintenance of on-street public charging infrastructure. The launch of this new pilot program accelerates these efforts, commits to installing chargers in the City sooner, and will provide valuable data to better inform City policymaking.
How the new pilot works:
EV charging providers can apply at sf.gov/ev-curbside, detailing their technology and proposed installation locations. The City will review applications to ensure they meet the necessary criteria and support San Francisco’s Climate Action Plan and equity goals. Once approved, applicants can proceed with obtaining any required permits, such as Excavation Permits from Public Works.
Once installed, the program establishes a data-gathering partnership with the charging providers to monitor usage, demand, and other key metrics. This information will support the SFMTA’s ongoing feasibility study and guide the development of a comprehensive citywide policy for curbside EV charging. The goal is to implement and install a select number of chargers in the coming months, for up to two years or until San Francisco completes its citywide implementation effort.
The program is a collaborative effort between various City departments including the SFMTA, Department of Public Works (DPW), San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, and the San Francisco Environment Department (SFE). The initiative will also engage community stakeholders to ensure broad support and successful implementation.
“The curbside EV charging pilot is an essential step toward meeting San Francisco’s climate goals and bridging the transition to a clean energy future, a future that includes prioritizing transit, walking and bicycling on our city’s roads and decarbonizing transportation,” said Jeff Tumlin, Director of the SFMTA. “By supporting both low-carbon trips and the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, we are advancing our city’s goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollution.”
“This pilot is a vital step in our efforts to achieve environmental justice and reduce emissions citywide,” said Tyrone Jue, Director of the SF Environment Department. “By expanding access to EV charging, we make it easier for residents to switch to electric vehicles, which is critical to achieving our Climate Action Plan’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2040. Increased charging availability will not only accelerate the adoption of cleaner vehicles, but also help to improve air quality and health outcomes in all our neighborhoods, especially those historically underserved.”
“Curbside charging is one of the tools needed until the day all multifamily housing has access to power for cars,” said Co-Founder of Golden Gate EV Association Marc Geller, “Golden Gate EV Association is proud to support this initiative to ensure we have more robust EV charging infrastructure for EV owners across San Francisco.”
“We applaud the city for taking steps to outline a clear and straightforward approach for bringing accessible, affordable, and convenient EV charging to San Francisco residents” said Tiya Gordon, Co-Founder and COO of it’s electric, a Brooklyn-based EV charging startup and participant of YesSF. “By focusing on curbside solutions, the City is addressing one of the biggest barriers to EV adoption for urban residents who rely on street parking.”
San Francisco continues to make progress on electrification:
San Francisco continues to make progress on reducing emissions from office buildings and homes and transitioning to zero-emission transportation. For example:
- In 2020, San Francisco moved forward with phasing out natural gas in new and significantly renovated City buildings.
- In 2021, San Francisco mandated all brand-new, above-ground construction be all-electric instead of using natural gas. This law does not apply to any renovations or existing properties but ensures new developments aren’t reliant on fossil-fuels.
- San Francisco requires large commercial buildings use greenhouse-gas-free electricity by 2030. Existing commercial buildings that are 50k square feet or larger must switch to the SFPUC’s CleanPowerSF SuperGreen option by 2030. SuperGreen is powered entirely by renewable energy projects like solar and wind.
- In 2019, Mayor Breed sponsored groundbreaking legislation, the first of its kind in the nation, requiring commercial parking lots and garages with more than 100 parking spaces to install EV charging stations in at least 10% of the parking spaces.
- In 2022, San Francisco’s Planning Code was modernized to expedite the creation of a more robust EV charging network for San Francisco residents and visitors. The legislation revised land-use zoning to move San Francisco from fossil fuel-based transportation to an all-electric future and created a clear zoning pathway for sites with existing automotive uses, such as gas stations or parking lots, to convert to an EV charging location.
- San Francisco's CleanPowerSF program is expanding its renewable energy portfolio with a new solar and battery storage project, increasing its total to 490 megawatts of renewable energy and nearly 290 megawatts of battery storage. These projects will store solar energy for use when it's needed most, providing cleaner, more affordable electricity to San Francisco's residents. The City’s commitment to battery energy storage has helped California surpass 10,000 megawatts of capacity, a 1,250% increase since 2019. This is critical for achieving the state's goal of 100% clean electricity by 2045.
In addition to supporting residents and businesses to make the transition to EVs with public, home, workplace, and fleet charging, the City is focused on reducing emissions from the transportation sector by investing in public transit and supporting walking, biking, and other non-car modes of transportation.
For more information on the City’s new EV Charging Pilot Program, visit sfgov.org/ev-curbside.
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