County of Santa Barbara Hits Major Milestone of 250 Electric Vehicle Chargers

(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) – The County of Santa Barbara has hit a major milestone in its comprehensive electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure project to support the County’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) policy, delivering 251 charging ports across multiple county facilities. The multi-year implementation includes 245 Level 2 chargers and 6 DC Fast Charging stations, supporting both the County's fleet operations and providing public access charging.

The project began in 2021, representing one of the largest municipal EV charging deployments in the region. Key installations include 56 chargers at the County Administration building and 60 chargers at the Betteravia Government Center Campus, which was partially supported by the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP) program and Air Pollution Control District.

An additional 177 chargers across 11 sites using future California Energy Commission grant funding combined with County match funding are slated to be installed in the next three years. This expansion will further strengthen the County's charging network and support increasing EV adoption throughout the region.

To date, the County has 100 Zero Emission Vehicles and 7 plug-in hybrid-electric light-duty vehicles. Another 175 light-duty vehicles are or will be eligible for replacement during the grant term.

Public Access to Chargers

County employees, residents, and visitors can easily access the public charging stations through the PowerFlex App, available for both iOS and Android devices. The app allows users to locate available chargers, start and monitor charging sessions, and manage payments seamlessly.

The PowerFlex App offers convenient features including the ability to set charging preferences, view real-time charging status, and receive notifications when charging is complete. Users can also view pricing information, transaction history, and manage payment methods.

To ensure public charging stations are widely available, the County charges a parking fee after four hours of use. After that time, drivers will be charged $0.10 per minute. At locations with both County fleet and public chargers, signs clearly mark which spots are for public use.

Public EV Charging Rates & Time of Use

County staff utilized historic electrical usage, current rates of electricity, expected maintenance and repairs, as well as software fees to calculate a fair and sustainable cost for charging vehicles at County-owned EV charging stations. Staff anticipate raising the EV charging rates once per year to keep up with changes in the cost of electricity. Pricing information for each location is available via the PowerFlex app to reflect the unique cost of electricity and improve transparency.

County charging sites also implement PowerFlex’s Adaptive Load Management® (ALM). Unlike traditional "first come, first served" or "equal share" charging approaches, ALM considers factors such as how long vehicles will be parked, how much charge they need, and the facility's overall power capacity. This optimization allows the County to install more charging stations without expensive electrical infrastructure upgrades, reducing implementation costs by up to 60% while maximizing the number of vehicles that can charge simultaneously.

In effort to mitigate demand charges at County facilities and encourage drivers to charge during non-peak hours, electricity output for chargers is reduced during hours of peak electricity demand (between 4:00 PM and 9:00 PM). This strategy has been implemented to avoid price fluctuations throughout the day.

"The County of Santa Barbara project exemplifies how local governments can lead the transition to sustainable transportation," said Raphael Declercq, CEO of PowerFlex. "By implementing a mix of fleet and public charging solutions across multiple facilities, the County has created a robust EV ecosystem that serves both their operational needs and the broader community.”