Seattle Advances 200 New Public EV Chargers Starting 2027 Despite 39.5% National Sales Decline

Seattle is expanding its public charging network with resident-nominated sites evaluated in batches of 40-50 through fall 2027. The program follows 58 units installed at 31 locations in 2023-2024 and targets households without off-street parking. Each charger delivers up to 9.6 kW, adding roughly 30 miles of range per hour. Construction per site is projected at two weeks after engineering begins in spring 2027. Cox Automotive data shows EV share of new vehicle sales dropped to 6.4% in Q3 2026 from over 10% the prior year, with Tesla still holding more than half the market despite its own 20% decline. The city proceeds with utility and levy financing regardless, prioritizing long-term infrastructure lock-in over current adoption curves. City incentives favor durable network effects that could lower future switching costs for residents and support emissions targets embedded in local planning documents. This creates a two-sided ledger: the municipality secures physical capacity ahead of demand while exposing ratepayers to utilization risk if sales remain suppressed. Primary records indicate no contingency tied to quarterly sales thresholds. Resident submissions close in successive rounds; first installations are scheduled for late 2027 with full rollout extending into subsequent years under Seattle City Light oversight.