Electric Vehicle Overnight Charging in City Parks Approved by Council

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – At its meeting last night, the Santa Monica City Council approved an ordinance modification allowing overnight Electric Vehicle (EV) charging in City of Santa Monica parks. This supports the City’s EV Action Plan and expands access to public chargers in areas of Santa Monica where public charging is limited, especially overnight.

Virginia Avenue Park is the first to offer overnight access through its four charging ports. Currently, the majority of public charging stations are located in the Downtown area. Through the EV Action Plan, public charging options are expanding throughout the City, including additional park chargers slated for Clover, Marine and Gandara Parks.

EVs are on the rise in California and particularly in Santa Monica. According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, EV registrations in Santa Monica were at 1,003 in 2015. Three years later in 2018, that number has more than doubled to 2,494.

"We hope public access to charging stations helps make the switch to electric vehicles logistically possible for the majority of Santa Monica residents who rent and live outside the Downtown area," said Dean Kubani, Chief Sustainability Officer and Assistant Director of Public Works. "We are one step closer to achieving the goals of Santa Monica’s EV Action Plan."

For questions about overnight EV charging, contact Sustainability Analyst Ariana Vito at Ariana.Vito@smgov.net.