While marking the 12thanniversary of the AltCar Conference and the first year of the Expo Line in Santa Monica, the City released a draft Electric Vehicle Action Plan. Online public input is being solicited through October 15.
With more and more electric vehicles (EVs) on the road, demand for electric vehicle charging is greater now than ever before in Santa Monica. To address this growth in EVs and continue the City’s leadership in sustainability, the EV Action Plan seeks to increase public charging and facilitate more private charging over the next five years.
Supporting the transition to EVs will significantly reduce Santa Monica’s greenhouse gases, of which more than 60% come from the transportation sector. This is why Santa Monica first installed EV chargers in the mid-1990s and purchased some of the original versions of electric vehicles for its City fleet.
“There is a lot of enthusiasm around electric vehicles and we want to provide easy access to charging locations,” said Shannon Parry, Deputy Sustainability Officer for the City of Santa Monica. “This plan is meant to help people make the transition and have convenient access to charging so if they plan to purchase a vehicle, it can be electric. In a community where 70% of residents are renters, accessibility to charging is key.”
The plan provides a comprehensive strategy by increasing public infrastructure, facilitating private charging, updating EV policies, and developing outreach programs. Multi-unit dwellings and dense neighborhoods are a priority of the plan as these are the most challenging areas to install EV charging stations.
The plan features a five-year infrastructure proposal of approximately $2 million to increase the City’s public charging network to 300 chargers, including curbside, streetlight, and DC fast charging stations.
The draft plan is available for public comment through October 15. Staff will be presenting the plan to the Task Force on the Environment and the Planning Commission before going to City Council on November 14. Please visit www.smgov.net/electricvehicles to see the plan, provide public comment, and find additional EV resources.
