Lawmakers and regulators gathered at a multi-unit housing complex in South San Francisco on Wednesday to celebrate the unveiling of a large-scale electric vehicle charging installation that can support more than 200 cars simultaneously.
At an event organized by WestLight Energy, an energy provider in San Mateo, and GoPower EV, an EV charging provider that specializes in multifamily housing, lawmakers touted the project as the second largest of its kind in the nation and a crucial step toward making EVs more accessible for renters and those who live outside the single-family home market.
“One of the key barriers to your and my decision to get an EV is whether we can charge it at home,” said Nancy Skinner at the event, a member of the California Energy Commission and a former state senator. “If you’re an apartment renter … condo resident, multifamily property resident, then many of you don’t have access to charging, and that’s what we’re trying to fix.”
U.S. Rep. Kevin Mullen, who represents much of the eastern Peninsula in California’s 15th Congressional District, added that the state’s clean energy transition won’t be real until it reaches renters and that projects like this are a key step toward that goal.
California has focused on expanding EV adoption and electrifying the transportation sector as a key component of meeting the state’s 2030 climate goals. Pollution from transportation accounts for 39% of greenhouse gas emissions in the state and is the largest source of emissions, according to data from the California Environmental Protection Agency.
Charging access expands for renters
By focusing on multi-unit buildings, GoPower EV has developed charging systems that use a standard wall outlet and meet California’s average daily driving distance of 35 miles through an eight-hour Level 1 charge without major infrastructure upgrades. Faster charging is also possible through low-power Level 2 charging, which can provide an estimated range of up to 150 miles over the same amount of time.
While charging speeds on these home charging systems fall well below those of commercial fast-charging networks such as Electrify America, EVgo and Tesla, GoPower EV’s focus on accessibility makes EV charging available to more people.
The project was also financed through WestLight Energy’s EV Ready Program, which provides technical design assistance and grant funding for EV charging projects.
Matthew Baker of the California Public Utilities Commission said projects like this can help lower energy prices, noting that recent rate increases have largely been driven by the costs of wildfire damage and infrastructure upgrades, with those expenses being passed on to ratepayers.
“Every time more people are using more electricity, that spreads many of these wildfire costs out among a larger base, and that lowers the rates, so it’s really important to try to increase beneficial use of electrification,” Baker said.
Baker added that projects like this allow more people to be part of the solution to the climate crisis.
