The city of Santa Barbara’s Sustainability & Resilience Department and Public Works Department have opened the first electric vehicle (EV) fast chargers hosted at a city facility.

The new fast chargers, at the downtown Ortega Parking Garage (Lot 10), can charge any EV with up to a 200-mile range in as little as 15 minutes.

The Ortega garage site includes 12 Tesla Superchargers on the third floor of the garage and four ChargePoint fast chargers on the second floor, so any EV can now charge at the Ortega Garage regardless of the make or charging connector.

The city received a $160,000 California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP) grant from the California Energy Commission, and developed agreements with Tesla and Carbon Solutions Group EV LLC (CSG) to install the chargers.

Having installed and operated 46 public Level-2 EV chargers over the past 10 years, the city continues to expand EV charging access. It is currently developing additional public charger installations, and has secured more than $3.5 million in grant funding for new installations.

“We are thrilled to offer fast charging solutions for our residents, workforce, and visitors alike, all utilizing 100% carbon-free electricity through Santa Barbara Clean Energy,” said Alelia Parenteau, Santa Barbara’s sustainability and resilience director.

“By reducing the barriers to EV adoption, this project directly supports the City’s goal to be carbon neutral by 2035, by reducing transportation-related emissions, our community’s largest emission source,” Parenteau said.

The announcement coincides with the city’s EV rebate program offered through Santa Barbara Clean Energy (SBCE). The Electrify-SB Residential EV rebate program offers $1,000 rebates ($2,000 for income-qualified customers) to help SBCE customers purchase or lease a new or used EV.

For more about the city’s EV chargers, visit SantaBarbaraCA.gov/EVCharging. Learn about the new EV rebate program at SBCleanEnergy.com.