The city of Santa Barbara, California’s Sustainability & Resilience Department and Public Works Department have opened the first electric vehicle fast chargers hosted at a city facility. The new fast chargers, located at the Ortega Parking Garage (Lot 10) in the heart of downtown, can rapidly charge any EV with up to a 200-mile range in as little as 15 minutes.
The Ortega garage site includes 12 Tesla Superchargers on the third floor of the garage and four ChargePoint fast chargers on the second floor. With this combination of charger types, any EV can now charge at the Ortega Garage regardless of vehicle make or charging connector. The city of Santa Barbara received a $160,000 California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP) grant from the California Energy Commission and developed agreements with Tesla and Carbon Solutions Group EV LLC (CSG) to install the chargers.
Having successfully installed and operated 46 public Level 2 EV chargers over the past 10 years, the city continues to expand EV charging access. Santa Barbara is currently developing additional public charger installations and has already secured more than $3.5 million in grant funding for new installations throughout the city.
“We are thrilled to offer fast-charging solutions for our residents, workforce and visitors alike, all utilizing 100% carbon-free electricity through Santa Barbara Clean Energy,” says Alelia Parenteau, the city’s Sustainability & Resilience director. “By reducing the barriers to EV adoption, this project directly supports the city’s goal to be carbon-neutral by 2035, by reducing transportation-related emissions, our community’s largest emission source.”
The announcement coincides with the city’s EV rebate program offered through Santa Barbara Clean Energy (SBCE). The Electrify-SB Residential EV rebate program offers $1,000 rebates ($2,000 for income-qualified customers) to help SBCE customers purchase or lease a new or used EV.
For additional information about Santa Barbara’s EV chargers, visit SantaBarbaraCA.gov/EVCharging. To learn more about the city’s new EV rebate program, access SBCleanEnergy.com.
