San Diego city leaders announced Tuesday the completion of a project that more than doubled capacity for drivers to charge up their electric vehicles at public locations.
The project pushed the number of stations offered to the public by the city to 57, while the number of ports for vehicles to plug into jumped from 32 to 68, according to the office of Mayor Kevin Faulconer. They're distributed around 15 public locations, including parks, beaches and libraries.
"We hope that by locating charging stations in popular destinations, it's easier and more convenient to use electric vehicles as well as encourage more people to purchase electric vehicles," Faulconer said. "You can enjoy staying at a park, beach or library a little longer knowing you can charge your car there."
The stations were funded through a $500,000 grant from the California Energy Commission. The city's Economic Development Department secured the grant with help from the Center for Sustainable Energy, San Diego Gas & Electric and OpConnect, a charging station operator and manufacturer.
"By boosting our electric vehicle infrastructure, we're creating sustainable communities that are cleaner and greener for future generations," Councilwoman Lorie Zapf said.
Increasing the number of charging stations is a component of a plan to address the impact of climate change that was adopted by the City Council in December 2015.
The city's charging stations are located at:
-Balboa Park, including the zoo, palisades and Fleet Science Center
-Central Library
-Mission Bay at the Aquatic Center, Bonita Cove and South De Anza Cove
-Glassman Recreation Center in Rancho Bernardo
-Skyline Hills Recreation Center
-Hourglass Field Community Park in Mira Mesa
-Nobel Recreation Center and North University Library
-Otay Mesa-Nestor Library
-Normal Street at University Avenue in Hillcrest
-Ocean Air Recreation Center in Carmel Valley
-the Ocean Beach lifeguard tower
At a rate of $1.75-1.80 per hour, vehicles can be charged using all major credit cards, according to the city.
Last month, San Diego Gas & Electric proposed a massive expansion of its own EV charging station program. In filings with the California Public Utilities Commission, SDG&E proposed installing tens of thousands of them to encourage the transition to zero-emission vehicles.
If the plan is approved, additional stations would be installed at Lindbergh Field and Port of San Diego facilities. They would also be provided for delivery fleets, taxis and ride-hailing businesses, park-and-ride locations and residences.
SDG&E said it is also working on placing electric charging infrastructure at 350 apartments, condos and businesses in the region.
