San Francisco Could Add 100 New Curbside EV Chargers

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It’s not too exciting, but this little-by-little approach is how public EV charging expansion has been going. In the latest update, the city of San Francisco has proposed to install 100 new curbside public EV chargers to provide extra public charging options.

It has been reported San Francisco already has more public EV charging ports than gas pumps. The total number of public charging ports is about 1,700. (And that doesn’t count all of the private charging options.)

“San Francisco now has more publicly accessible electric vehicle (EV) chargers than gasoline pumps, reflecting the city’s shift towards electric transportation. With around 30,000 EVs registered in the city, making up 7% of the total vehicle population, the demand for charging stations has increased dramatically. The city has over 1,700 public Level 2 and fast DC chargers, supported by state and local policies incentivizing EV infrastructure. Meanwhile, the number of gas stations in San Francisco has declined from over 100 to less than 90 in the past 15 years.”

About 80 percent of EV charging happens at home. There are a great number of renters in San Francisco who may not have home chargers, though. Hence, the need for more curbside chargers. The city of San Francisco has a goal to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. Supporting EVs is an important part of that effort.

There is something humorous in the KQED source article. With the backdrop of increasing gas prices and a surge in some parts of the country in home heating and electricity prices, this reference stood out: “At the curbside EV chargers in his neighborhood, a full charge on his EV costs $14, whereas a faster charger at a private parking lot or a grocery store might cost about 25% more, plus possible parking fees.”

A full EV charge is $14? This amount is a pittance. Filling up a gas car could be over $40. If a fast charge in San Francisco costs 25 percent more than $14, that’s still only about $17. So, again, a great deal.

The true cost of gasoline is far greater than the price at the pump. In fact, it could be as high as $15 per gallon! “Gasolinegate applies the concept of Total Societal Impact (TSI)—a measure of all the benefits and costs associated with a product over its lifetime—to gasoline, and cites the Center for Investigative Reporting’s conclusion that the true cost of gasoline is actually $15 per gallon.

“Few drivers would be willing to pay that price upfront. But taxpayer dollars subsidize fossil fuel production, military operations to defend oil supplies, and efforts toward climate mitigation and adaptation, all of which add up to the TSI of gasoline. In the end, taxpayers are left with the bill whether they realize it or not.”

What people pay at the pump is not a deep, thorough analysis of all the costs involved to society and the planet, but they assume what they pay is the only cost. The cost of electricity, especially clean, renewable electricity, is far lower than all the costs of fossil fuels.

Adding 100 new curbside chargers might not sound like much. However, it supports greater EV adoption, which means reducing fossil fuel consumption. In turn, the movement toward eliminating fossil fuels someday is supported too.