Many city residents want an electric vehicle. But they hesitate to buy one because they do not have anywhere to install a charger.
Jacob Orenberg is with Seattle City Light. The electric utility is piloting a program that will provide these residents with EV charging on the street.
“The city of Seattle is a relatively older city for the West Coast. And many of our neighborhoods were built before the mid-20th century when the automobile became dominant,” he says. “And so many of the homes there don’t have driveways or garages. We are also a relatively dense city with many apartments and condominiums. And residents of those buildings frequently rely on street parking, too, for all of their parking when they’re at home.”
The utility is currently reviewing requests from residents who want a fast charger installed on the street in front of their home.
The program staff will select 30 sites and install the chargers early in 2023.
Orenberg says the program will prioritize locations near apartments, condos, and mobile home parks.
“We want to install these in places where these chargers will get the most amount of use and thereby have the greatest impact,” he says.
He says if the program is successful, the utility aims to roll it out on a larger scale, so it’s easier for more people to drive EVs.
Read: Driving with electricity is much cheaper than with gasoline
Reporting credit: ChavoBart Digital Media
