Curbside Charging
Sacramento is working to remove barriers to Electric Vehicle (EV) access and encourage EV adoption. With a high concentration of employees and multi-family housing in the Central City, allowing on-street EV charging “curbside” in the public right-of-way can support a more diverse array of EV drivers. Highly visible curbside chargers can provide charging in dense areas of downtown where charging options are limited, and for residents without a garage or dedicated off-street parking.
The City and EVgo are collaborating to offer curbside charging in Sacramento through a public-private partnership. The first curbside EV charging pilot launched in Sacramento in May 2019. Construction of the second pilot at two new locations in the Central City was completed in Fall 2021. Chargers are owned and operated by EVgo, and available as a paid service to the public. There are currently three curbside charging sites will be in operation, providing a total of 12 curbside chargers at 50-kilowatt or greater charging capacity.
The City is one of the first cities to successfully launch curbside charging. On occasion, staff receive requests for EV charger installations in front of private residences that do not have off-street parking. However, staff has decided not to pursue a residential curbside charging program at this time due to the added complexities and unique considerations. It has not been ruled out entirely for operation in the future – especially as EV adoption increases – but with limited resources, the City has decided to focus efforts on increasing public charging access and supportive programs as priority.
Get access to resources and learn more about options to buy or lease an EV here.
If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Jenna Hahn, Sustainability Analyst, at (916) 808-5016.
How do I Use the Chargers?
EV drivers can park for free at the designated EV charging spaces – no meter fees or parking fees apply in the designated EV charging spaces. Parking is time-restricted with a 2-hour limit.
Drivers pay for cost of charging using one of several convenient methods: credit card, phone, or, for EVgo members, using an EVgo RFID card or the EVgo app. EVgo holds interoperability charging agreements with other major charging companies, allowing drivers to access EVgo chargers via the apps or RFID cards of other charging companies. Refer to the EVgo website for more information: https://www.evgo.com/ev-drivers/
THE second CURBSIDE HIGH SPEED EV CHARGING PILOT PROJECT
Construction was recently completed to launch curbside fast charging at two new Central City locations in Fall 2021. The two locations are: 22nd Street between J Street and Improv Alley, and 14th Street between E Street and Eggplant Alley. Please note: in order to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, 4 existing parking spaces will be converted into 3 EV-only charging spaces at each site. Each one of those EV charging spaces will have a 2-hour time limit.
Artists chosen for curbside EV charger art wrap project
Learn more about the two artists chosen to develop custom artwork for the chargers:
The EVgo art wraps project is a collaborative effort between the EVgo and the City of Sacramento, Office of Arts and Culture (OAC) and the Department of Public Works. Artists were selected by a competitive Request for Qualifications (RFQ) solicitation through the City’s Art in Public Places Program.
Curbside Charging Community Meetings, 2019
The City of Sacramento hosted two open houses to discuss the projects, solicit feedback, and answer questions:
- Thursday, September 19, 2019
- 5:00 - 7:00 pm
- New City Hall: 915 I Street, Room 1119 (first floor)
- Friday, September 20, 2019
- 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
- New City Hall: 915 I Street, Room 1119 (first floor)
Request for Proposals Released December 7, 2018
Throughout 2018, the City of Sacramento continued to explore curbside EV charging with a range of stakeholders which led to the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) in December 2018 via the City’s PlanetBids website for a second Curbside EV Charging Pilot (“Pilot”). The RFP called for proposals from operators that would install, own, and operate an initial deployment of up to 15 curbside chargers in the right of way at no cost to the City, with chargers to be operational by late 2019. The City chose to pursue a no-cost RFP to select a competitive vendor(s) that could successfully operate EV chargers without public investment, with the intent to demonstrate a financially sustainable model for curbside charging. The City selected EVgo through the RFP process, and executed a contract with EVgo in late 2019 for the work. Accordingly, EVgo is currently operating as the exclusive operator of curbside charging in Sacramento.
The RFP was developed with a map to help identify potential sites for curbside charging, for further consideration in RFP responses.
Map: Streets with Potential for Curbside Charging
NOTE: The map does not identify approved sites, but shows potential locations based on available data such as suitable parking time regulations, and planned roadway improvements. The City will further evaluate potential sites with the successful proposer. The project will include community engagement to seek feedback on proposed sites for EV charging infrastructure.
The first curbside HIGH SPEED EV CHARGING PILOT PROJECT: SOUTHSIDE PARK
In June 2017, under Sacramento’s Demonstration Partnerships Policy (Resolution 2017-0150), the City entered into an agreement with EVgo, an EV charging station operator, to construct and operate the City’s first curbside EV charging partnership in order to test, evaluate, and demonstrate the feasibility of curbside EV charging. As a result, EVgo is currently in the process of installing three 150-kilowatt (kW) high-power charging stations and three 50-kW direct current fast chargers (DCFC) at Southside Park. These chargers represent a new generation of technology that can provide up to 240-mile range in as few as 20 to 30 minutes and will be available as a paid service for EV drivers. The six curbside EV chargers are now available for public use.
Read more:
DRAFT CURBSIDE EV CHARGING GUIDANCE (JUNE 2018)
On June 14, 2018, the Department of Public Works (DPW) released draft policy guidance for permitting curbside charging in the right-of-way. This guidance included proposed terms, conditions, and procedures for public and private entities to install, operate, and maintain Level 2 and DC Fast Charging EV supply equipment (EVSE) on-street in the public right-of-way. The City will confirm next steps for the curbside charging program based on outcomes of curbside charging pilots (see above for more information).
Review the June 2018 Public Draft Materials for the Curbside EV Charging Pilot: