Description
Access to convenient and reliable public charging ranks as a top concern among prospective EV buyers, especially those without the option to install charging at home. Pursuant to state and federal funds being available, King County will continue to work with partners to expand publicly accessible EV charging infrastructure at County facilities and properties, assess fleet depot locations for shared use charging, investigate options for charging hubs with other agencies' fleets, and explore public-private EV charging partnerships. King County will deploy infrastructure programs that increase and prioritize frontline community access to EV charging infrastructure, and ensure that installations occur in "charging deserts," multi-family housing, and other overburdened areas not prioritized for buildout by commercial networks.
To most efficiently identify the top priority locations for future EV chargers, and to develop a portfolio of sites suitable for submission to grant funding opportunities, planners need a charging roadmap customized for the region. King County will collaborate with regional partners and neighboring counties, to support research and publication of a regional EV charger implementation roadmap. An underlying mapping exercise, in coordination with underserved communities and the Climate Equity Community Task Force, will catalog existing charging, identify public EV "charging deserts" and develop a prioritized plan for improved access and investment.
Many residents of multi-family apartment or condo buildings would consider buying an Electric Vehicle (EV) but need help convincing property owners that onsite chargers are worth installing. King County will support promotion of electric vehicle charging installation with commercial property owners by engaging commercial property owners and EV installation companies in specialized support for EV charging installation, including articulation of financial benefit and applicable loan products and state/local incentives or rebates. This includes promotional campaigns and connection to third party technical assistance providers. Specifically, ECO will take the lead on summarizing and packaging technical assistance resources and work with applicable County agencies, such as DLS's economic development team, to disseminate information through established networks and act as a trusted messenger for EV benefits within the local business community in unincorporated King County.
One of the biggest challenges in using public chargers in King County, and along the West Coast, is finding a reliable location where equipment is functioning properly and has not been vandalized. The County will engage with internal and external partners to identify opportunities and funding to support emerging EV charger designs and/or technology that improve overall resilience, increase repairability, and enhance resistance to repeated vandalism at County-owned and other public facilities. The County will seek funds to pilot new public EV charging equipment prototypes at County-owned facilities that can meet more stringent uptime requirements and explore how new ownership and maintenance agreements with third-party providers could serve to improve uptime of public chargers on King County property.