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San Mateo studies equitable EV charging access as public complains of broken chargers and renter barriers
Summary
City staff presented a study session on equitable EV charging, noting growth from 174 public chargers in 2023 to 329 in 2025 and urging multifamily outreach; public speakers and councilors flagged broken fast chargers, landlord‑cost barriers for renters and uneven charger distribution in neighborhoods.
City staff on June 1 briefed the San Mateo City Council on strategies to broaden access to electric‑vehicle charging across the city, with a focus on multifamily housing, workplace access and addressing gaps in neighborhood availability.
Sustainability analyst Andrea Chow explained the importance of charging access because on‑road transportation is the city’s largest source of greenhouse‑gas emissions. She reviewed charging levels (Level 1, 2 and DC fast charging) and told the council that curbside charging poses technical and cost challenges, including submetering requirements, PG&E coordination and limited transformer capacity at some pole locations.
Chow highlighted Peninsula Clean Energy’s EV Ready program, which has evaluated more than 350 sites countywide and supported installation of about 2,500 ports since 2020. She said the city operates roughly 70 charging ports on city‑owned property and staff’s crowd‑sourced mapping showed 329 publicly available ports in San Mateo in 2025 (about 159 fast chargers and 172 Level 2 ports), up from 174 in 2023.
Melanie Jasper of Peninsula Clean Energy (present over Zoom) described program priorities: “We really are focused on installing lower‑power charging at the locations where people are already parked for the longest time,” she said, adding the program has prioritized multifamily properties and low‑cost Level‑1 solutions where appropriate.
Public commenters described practical obstacles. Kevin Simpson, speaking in chambers, said as a renter he faces barriers to home charging and that running a line could cost “$5,000” for his landlord; he also reported that some public fast chargers he tried “did not work at all.” Another commenter urged pay‑as‑you‑go pricing at apartment chargers, recommended sharing school‑parking chargers after hours, urged more curbside chargers and emphasized ebikes as an equity‑oriented transportation option.
Council members pressed staff about map gaps and potential city sites such as the municipal golf‑course parking lot, downtown garages and Kiku Crossing. Staff said they would evaluate those sites, consider mobile carport options and continue partnership with Peninsula Clean Energy and county working groups to target multifamily owners and employers. For out‑of‑service units, staff said the recommended first step is to report faults to the manufacturer via the phone number on the unit; the city holds repair contracts with manufacturers (ChargePoint, PowerFlex and EVgo) to address maintenance needs.
No action was taken; the item was a study session. Staff said they will promote PCE webinars to property owners, continue county working‑group engagement and follow up on data and outreach strategies.
