First-of-its-kind curbside EV chargers coming to San Francisco, ready for use this week

(KRON) — Much of the hesitancy regarding the adoption of electric vehicles stems from the lack of accessibility for charging. One startup is looking to help change that in San Francisco.

It’s Electric (stylized as it’s electric) is a startup focused on building electric vehicle chargers across cities where residents cannot charge in a garage and park their cars on the street. The company is bringing that mission of prioritizing curbside charging to San Francisco.

The first-of-its-kind curbside electric vehicle charging is making its San Francisco debut this Friday at 55 Fillmore St., the company announced. To start, it’s electric will have two chargers open to the public and ready for use. These two curbside parking spots will only be for electric vehicles (EVs), according to the SFMTA.

Charging is limited to two hours from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. daily — for those without an Area S permit. Those with the permit can charge overnight and for more than two hours. These kinds of chargers differ from the majority in San Francisco in which are fast chargers meant to charge in under 30 minutes.

These chargers are meant to charge more slowly to cater to residents who park their cars on the street — or anyone in the area running errands. This pilot charging program was first announced in the summer of 2024.

The charging station, however, requires the user to bring their own detachable cable, the SFMTA said. The chargers are compatible with NACS and J17772 standards. Those who sign up with it’s electric will be provided with a portable cable that stays with them.

Photos of the curbside chargers can be viewed below.

How It Works

The charging stations are designed to be a similar size to a parking meter next to a curb. Their electricity is derived from a nearby building, which property owners would receive passive income from those paying for the curbside charging.

“This provides drivers with easy and affordable charging options while offering property owners monthly passive income,” an it’s electric spokesperson wrote. “This behind-the-meter connection also bypasses the utility, adding no additional stress to the electrical grid, and allows for much faster installation.”

The chargers’ speed will be Level 2, which dispenses about 7.6 kWh or adds about 25 miles of range per hour.

According to it’s electric, the cost of charging will generally range between $0.25 and $0.43 per kWh — depending on time of day, local utility costs, etc. A parked EV charging for nine hours overnight on the street would cost about $13.

According to the startup, there are currently 1,152 public EV chargers in total in San Francisco. The company says the city’s goal is to have 1,760 by 2030.

it’s electric plans to bring its curbside charging stations to Alameda, Boston, Detroit, Jersey City, Washington D.C. and Yonkers, the company founded in 2021 said.

More information about how it’s electric chargers work can be viewed on its website.