San Francisco moves to install curbside EV chargers on city streets

The City of San Francisco could soon make it much easier for residents without a driveway or garage to charge their EVs on the street.

Mayor Daniel Lurie introduced legislation yesterday that would create the city’s first permanent curbside EV charging program. The proposal, which Lurie introduced with Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman, sets up a permitting pathway for charging stations to be installed at city curbs.

The move builds on San Francisco’s temporary curbside charging pilot program, which launched in April 2025. If the new program moves forward, the goal is to install 100 curbside chargers across the city by 2030.

San Francisco already has one of the highest EV adoption rates in the US, but many residents, especially renters and people living in apartment buildings, don’t have access to home charging. Curbside chargers could help close that gap.

“For the first time, San Francisco will have a clear process to allow curbside EV chargers to be built across our neighborhoods,” said Lurie.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority (SFMTA) will lead the new program and begin accepting applications from curbside charging providers this summer.

Charging companies would first apply to become approved vendors. Once qualified, they could apply for permits at specific curbside locations, allowing chargers to be installed across multiple sites more quickly.

SFMTA will determine where chargers should go based on demand and community feedback.

Several other city departments will also be involved in the process, including San Francisco Environment, San Francisco Public Works, and San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

City officials say the approach is designed to simplify what has historically been a complicated permitting process.

The biggest barrier to EV ownership in dense cities is that many people don’t have a place to charge at home. Curbside charging aims to solve that by bringing chargers directly to neighborhoods.

Local EV driver Ashkan Javaherian said he nearly sold his EV before finding one of the pilot chargers near his home.

“I was close to selling my EV, but then I discovered the city’s pilot curbside chargers right in my neighborhood,” Javaherian said. “Today’s announcement will make it easier for more people like me to have an EV in the city.”

Labor groups are also preparing for the expansion. John Doherty, business manager of IBEW Local 6, said more than 700 of the union’s members are already certified through the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program.

San Francisco is also expanding EV charging in other ways.

The SFMTA recently secured a $5 million grant from the California Energy Commission to install 140 charging stations for its non-revenue vehicle fleet.

Public charging is also growing in city parking garages. SFMTA expects to increase the number of public chargers in its off-street garages from 55 today to about 305 by fiscal year 2027.

City officials say the new curbside program will play a key role in helping San Francisco meet its climate goals while making EV ownership more accessible to residents who can’t install a charger at home.

Read more: California just greenlit the future of curbside V2G EV chargers

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Michelle Lewis is a writer and editor on Electrek and an editor on DroneDJ, 9to5Mac, and 9to5Google. She lives in White River Junction, Vermont. She has previously worked for Fast Company, the Guardian, News Deeply, Time, and others. Message Michelle on Twitter or at michelle@9to5mac.com. Check out her personal blog.

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