Curbside charging is the solution for urban drivers who want to go electric, but who lack private parking spaces and can’t install their own chargers. A pioneer in this space is it’s electric, which we profiled in our July-September 2024 issue.

Now Washington DC’s District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has partnered with it’s electric on a pilot program that will explore the possibilities of rolling out neighborhood curbside charging in the city.

The Neighborhood Curbside EV Charging Station Pilot will “inform regulation updates and demonstrate guidelines for a permit program for private vendors to install, operate and maintain curbside EV charging stations in the district’s public right-of-way.”

For starters, it’s electric will install, operate and maintain pairs of curbside chargers at eight locations in the city—one location in each ward (16 chargers in total). The first location is already open, next to The Festival Center on Mozart Place NW. The remaining seven sites will be deployed in the coming months. All locations have been reviewed to ensure safety, accessibility and compatibility with other street uses.

it’s electric’s Level 2 chargers don’t have attached cables. Drivers bring their own J3068-compatible charging cables, which the company provides free. This bring-your-own-cable arrangement is the norm in Europe and elsewhere, and has the advantages of eliminating vandalism and reducing street clutter.

“By implementing this pilot, DDOT can foster experimentation around urban electrification to help cities across the country accelerate the learning curve for curbside EV charging deployments,” said DDOT Director Sharon Kershbaum.

“From EV charging to E-bike battery swapping, DDOT is delivering innovative transportation infrastructure that demonstrates what cities must do to create sustainable, livable neighborhoods,” said Judy Chang, Project Director for it’s electric.

“The Festival Center is a hub for mission-driven groups, and we are thrilled to extend our commitment to our community all the way to the curb,” said Bill Mefford, Executive Director at The Festival Center. “it’s electric’s business model allows us as the property owner to share in the revenue, which we then can reinvest in our other initiatives.”

Source: it’s electric