San Francisco has two curbside EV chargers and targets 100 by 2030 while other US cities deploy hundreds
By Eve
San Francisco installed its first two curbside chargers nearly a year before a March ceremony where Mayor Daniel Lurie announced a new ordinance centralising permits under the Municipal Transportation Agency. The city aims for 100 curbside chargers by 2030, a pace Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman questioned at a City Hall hearing, noting other cities already operate hundreds of on street devices. Delays stem from limited permit staff, street space competition, electrical constraints and fragmented departmental authority, alongside broader California regulatory challenges.
Why it matters: The stark contrast between San Francisco's two chargers and the hundreds deployed elsewhere highlights procurement and permitting bottlenecks that slow public charging rollout. Centralised permitting and clearer departmental ownership may offer a template for CPOs and local authorities struggling with similar installation delays.