Seattle Plans to Install Hundreds of Curbside EV Chargers by 2030
The city will deploy up to 200 Level 2 chargers, prioritizing areas near multifamily housing and parks.
Seattle officials have announced a plan to install up to 200 new Level 2 curbside EV chargers across the city by 2030, aiming to support electric vehicle owners in apartment and condominium buildings.
What Happened
The initiative, led by Seattle City Light and the Seattle Department of Transportation, will begin accepting resident applications for new charger sites immediately. Design and permitting phases are scheduled to start in spring 2027, with physical installations beginning in fall 2027 and continuing on a rolling basis until 2030. Each site will require approximately two weeks of active construction. Locations will be selected in batches of 40 to 50 based on specific criteria, including proximity to multifamily housing, parks, and businesses, as well as a "walk score" metric intended to maximize utilization. The project follows a pilot program that deployed 58 chargers at 31 locations between 2023 and 2024.
Why It Matters
Over half of Seattle’s homes are apartments or condominiums that often lack off-street parking, forcing many EV owners to rely on more expensive DC fast chargers located near shopping centers or major traffic corridors. Curbside charging allows vehicles to remain connected for multiple hours without blocking other drivers, offering a more convenient solution for residents. This approach, already common in Europe, is being adopted by other U.S. cities including New York City, Detroit, and San Francisco. The new chargers will cost $0.21 per kilowatt-hour to use, with a peak power output of 9.6 kilowatts. The project is funded by the $1.55 billion Seattle Transportation Levy approved by voters in 2024, with roughly $21 million allocated from a $32 million electrification budget, plus an additional $2 million from Seattle City Light. SDOT spokesperson Mariam Ali noted that the pilot chargers were used 45,000 times in the last year alone.
The Bottom Line
Seattle’s expansion of curbside charging infrastructure aims to bridge the gap for multifamily residents, with all new sites expected to be operational by 2030.
