In an effort to ensure more drivers can make the switch to an electric vehicle, particularly those living in apartments or without private off-street parking, Seattle is set to fund the installation of up to 200 new curbside charging stations across the city.
More curbside chargers on the way for Seattle
The new on-street chargers come as part of the Curbside Level 2 EV Charging Program, run jointly by Seattle City Light and Seattle Department of Transportation. These chargers will be designed for overnight charging, and help more drivers feel confident in switching to an EV even if they don’t have access to a private driveway charge point. That’s a key point for Seattle in particular, where around half of homes are classed as apartments or condominiums where residents often don’t have access to off-street parking. The city has also set a target to reduce transport emissions by 83% by 2030, so encouraging more residents to switch from their petrol or diesel vehicle to a fully-electric model will play a crucial part in achieving this reduction.
The program builds on a pilot scheme the city operated, which has seen 58 curbside chargers already installed across 31 different locations in the city. Residents can now apply through the Seattle.gov website to request that one of these 200 planned chargers is installed at a location near them, with a decision on locations set to begin early next year. Several criteria are being considered for whether a new location is suitable, including proximity to existing curbside chargers, population density, proximity to retail sites and parks, and areas already suffering from higher pollution levels.
First installations will begin in late 2027, with all chargers set to be up and running by 2030 at the latest. The curbside chargers will be operated by Seattle City Light, and pricing is currently set at $0.21 per kWh.
