On February 28, San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee and Supervisor Katy Tang introduced new legislation aimed at encouraging the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) in their city. The “EV Ready” ordinance will require all new buildings and major retrofit projects in San Francisco to have a certain level of EV charging infrastructure.
“San Francisco is working towards smart, long-term investments and policies that reduce pollution and make sense economically,” Lee said. “We are committed to continuing our leadership on fighting climate change. By improving access to electric charging citywide, San Francisco is accelerating our transition to a clean-energy transportation future.”
For a new residential / commercial building, the “EV Ready” ordinance stipulates that of all the parking spaces constructed:
- 10% will be “turnkey ready” for EV charger installation
- 10% will be “EV flexible” (i.e. have the potential for charging and upgrades)
- 80% will be “EV capable” (during construction, conduit must be laid in difficult to access areas, hence reducing the cost of running electrical cables in the future)
“I am proud to be co-sponsoring this important legislation to make electric vehicle charging more accessible to drivers, while keeping costs reasonable for developers and building owners,” Tang said. “San Francisco should be leading the charge and encouraging more San Franciscans to choose clean vehicles. While some may question whether climate change is real, San Francisco is taking steps to ensure that we have a sustainable future.”
Existing buildings in San Francisco, like in most cities, have not been built with EV charging in mind. Retrofitting EV chargers can be a very expensive option. A 2016 report revealed that incorporating the electrical infrastructure required for EV charging during construction can reduce costs by at least 75%.
“We support the Mayor and Supervisor Tang’s legislation requiring new developments to be more EV ready, not only for the environmental benefits, but because the adoption rate of electric vehicles is strong in San Francisco and steadily growing,” said Mike McCone, vice president of Oyster Development. “At Rockwell, our newest San Francisco residential development, based on market demand we installed chargers in 15% of the parking spaces and have allowed for expansion.” Apparently, these EV chargers — installed by ChargePoint — are now nearly all in use.
San Francisco, along with Oakland and Fremont, received a grant from the California Energy Commission to research opportunities in expanding EV infrastructure in new construction. Fremont was the first to pass an “EV Ready” ordinance, followed by Oakland. San Francisco is now poised to join them in the rEVolution.
Source: Office of the Mayor (San Francisco).