LA is building out 10,000 streetlight EV chargers, under brighter LEDs

Los Angeles is expanding an infrastructure project to put EV chargers in streetlight poles.

First spotted by Charged EVs, the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting has contracted with two companies—AmpUp for software and EVSE for retractable charging cables—to add Level 2 chargers to 150 streetlight poles in the City of Angels.

The 25-foot cables are installed in existing poles 10 feet off the ground, which can lower installation costs by 70% while reducing the potential for vandalism, damage, or injuries from tripping over cables, according to AmpUP and EVSE.

Streetlight EV charger in Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting, which oversees 220,000 light poles in the city, is in the process of meeting a mayoral target to install 10,000 EV chargers, alongside a project to replace existing streetlight bulbs with brighter, more energy-efficient LEDs. L.A. launched the initiative to redesign street-side lighting in 2020, and EV charging has been a part of it from the start.

Light pole EV charging can be especially handy in urban areas because it makes use of existing infrastructure without taking up precious sidewalk space, while giving apartment dwellers for whom home charging may not be an option a place to plug in.

In addition to L.A., Seattle in 2022 announced plans to install curbside EV chargers by request, while Kansas City and New York City began testing the concept in 2021, with the latter reporting high utilization rates. Voltpost earlier this year showed off sleek streetlight EV chargers that the company said it was preparing to install in major U.S. metro areas like New York, Chicago, and Detroit.

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