Santa Barbara Opens New Fast EV Chargers at Eastside Library

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) — Santa Barbara is expanding its public electric vehicle charging network with four new fast chargers at the Eastside Library.

The City of Santa Barbara held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday to celebrate the completion of the Eastside Library EV Charger Project.

Located at 1102 E. Montecito Street, the new chargers are publicly accessible and provide up to 400 kilowatts of DC fast charging. The city says they are among the fastest public EV chargers on California’s Central Coast.

The chargers are powered by 100% carbon-free electricity through Santa Barbara Clean Energy.

City officials say expanding public charging infrastructure is especially important for residents who may not have access to a private garage or home charging.

“Expanding the City's charging network helps make electric vehicle ownership more practical for community members, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and improves local air quality,” said Energy & Climate Division ManagerJefferson Litten.

The project received more than $500,000 in funding from the California Energy Commission, the California Transportation Commission and Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.

The SB 1 funding was allocated by the California Transportation Commission through the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments.

The city's Energy & Climate Division planned the project in collaboration with the Santa Barbara Public Library, which served as the site host. The project was delivered through a public-private partnership with Carbon Solutions Group.

Electric Vehicle Infrastructures constructed the chargers with support from Southern California Edison. The charging stations are operated through Carbon Solutions Group's DirtRoad charging network.

City officials say the project is part of Santa Barbara's broader effort to expand EV infrastructure and remove barriers to electric vehicle adoption.

The chargers are now publicly accessible at the Eastside Library.

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