San Francisco Launches Citywide Curbside EV Charging Program

On August 27, 2026, the city of San Francisco, California announced it is taking a major step toward making electric vehicle ownership more accessible by launching a citywide curbside EV charging program. Mayor Daniel Lurie announced the program, opening opportunities for charging stations at locations throughout the city and allowing the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) to begin accepting permit applications.

The program is designed to help residents who live in apartments, condominiums or other multifamily housing and do not have access to a private garage or driveway. Expanding public charging options could make EV ownership more practical for these residents while helping San Francisco reduce transportation emissions, save drivers money, and advance its climate goals.

The new program builds on a curbside charging pilot that brought San Francisco’s first curbside chargers online in April 2025. The pilot found that charger availability remained one of the biggest barriers to broader EV adoption. It also provided city officials with information about neighborhood demand, grid access, site selection and charging technology. San Francisco’s Climate Action Plan calls for 100 curbside EV charging stations by 2030.

The permitting process will occur in two phases. First, SFMTA will evaluate charging operators based on their experience, qualifications, financial readiness and ability to meet reliability requirements. Approved operators can then investigate potential locations and apply for individual site permits. Site applications must include installation and infrastructure plans as well as neighborhood outreach plans.

San Francisco residents will also have a direct role in determining where new chargers should be installed. The San Francisco Environment Department created a feedback tool allowing residents to explore a map and recommend potential locations for publicly accessible charging stations. Community input will help guide future charging infrastructure planning.

The program could also help residents take greater advantage of San Francisco’s electricity system. Through CleanPowerSF and Hetch Hetchy Power, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission provides approximately 75% of the electricity used in the city. Expanding neighborhood charging gives residents without home charging access another way to use that electricity instead of gasoline.

San Francisco’s curbside charging initiative demonstrates why cities need charging infrastructure that reflects how people actually live. Not every EV owner has a garage, driveway or dedicated parking space. For renters and apartment residents, convenient curbside charging can be the difference between EV ownership being impractical and becoming a realistic option.

As EV adoption grows fast across the U.S. and worldwide, expanding charging access into residential neighborhoods will become increasingly important. San Francisco’s program provides a smart model for other cities looking to remove one of the largest remaining barriers to EV ownership while reducing transportation pollution and providing residents with more affordable and convenient transportation choices.

EVinfo.net’s Take: it’s electric Installs Public Curbside Chargers in San Francisco, Many Other Cities

EVinfo.net commends this wise move by the city of San Francisco. Smart city and state leaders are making up for federal mistakes which are increasing inflation, prices, and pollution.

In April 2025, Charged EVs reported that innovative curbside charging company it’s electric installed two public Level 2 EV chargers in San Francisco as part of a pilot program designed to help the city develop a permanent permitting framework for curbside charging.

The deployment follows months of collaboration between it’s electric and several San Francisco city agencies. Data collected during the pilot, along with lessons learned from the installation and operation of the chargers, helped inform recommendations for creating a more permanent curbside EV charging permitting process.

The two publicly accessible Level 2 chargers can deliver up to 7.6 kW of power. They are located at 55 Fillmore Street, directly across from the local headquarters of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). IBEW members installed the chargers as part of the project.

The labor union praised it’s electric for its nationwide commitment to using IBEW electricians for charger installations and said it was proud to host the company’s first curbside chargers outside the IBEW Local 6 offices.

it’s electric works with property owners to tap into existing electricity supplies, allowing compact curbside chargers to be installed without extensive street construction or direct utility connections. The company handles charger installation, operation and maintenance at no cost to municipalities or building owners. Its behind-the-meter approach can also provide property owners with an opportunity to generate passive monthly income from their existing electrical infrastructure.

Building owners and EV drivers who want to bring an it’s electric charger to their neighborhood can join the company’s waitlist.

San Francisco had 1,152 publicly accessible EV charging ports as of April 2025, and aims to increase that number to 1,760 by 2030. The city also continues to attract larger charging projects.

Tiya Gordon, COO of it’s electric, said the company’s work will continue beyond the launch of the pilot. The company collects and shares data with the city to help develop a comprehensive, citywide policy capable of supporting broader and more scalable curbside EV charging.

In May 2026, EVinfo.net reported that it’s electric announced a major and historic agreement with the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to deploy as many as 1,000 Level 2 curbside electric vehicle (EV) chargers throughout the city. it’s electric currently operates in seven U.S. cities and is expanding fast.