Driving Electric – Making EV Charging More Accessible Through Curbside Charging

This RMI guide explains how cities can use curbside charging to make EV ownership accessible for multifamily housing residents. It emphasizes the need for early engagement with program stakeholders (government and private entities) and community stakeholders to navigate the complexities of urban infrastructure. The document outlines various business models—including own-and-operate, lease, external operator, and concession—and suggests community engagement tools to build trust and increase adoption.

• Curbside charging is presented as a critical alternative for renters and residents of multifamily housing in dense urban areas where private off-street parking is uncommon, making at-home charging infeasible.
• Successful curbside charging deployment requires the coordination of various stakeholders because the curb is a complex environment containing bike lanes, bus stops, ADA compliant sidewalk space, deliveries, signage, and green and stormwater infrastructure.
• The document distinguishes between program stakeholders, who identify locations and execute construction and policy, and community stakeholders, who are the individuals or organizations the program is designed to benefit or indirectly affect.
• Cities can choose from several business models for curbside charging, each with different trade-offs regarding control and risk: the “own and operate” model offers the most control but highest liability; the “lease” model shifts financial risk to external providers; and the “external operator” and “oncession” models involve shared investment.
• Community engagement strategies, including surveys, site visits, meetings, pop-ups, flyers, and mailers, are used to build trust and rectify EV misconceptions to increase charger usage.

APA

RMI (2026). Driving Electric – Making EV Charging More Accessible Through Curbside Charging. https://rmi.org/resources/driving-electric-making-ev-charging-more-accessible-through-curbside-charging/

Chicago

RMI. Driving Electric – Making EV Charging More Accessible Through Curbside Charging. 2026. https://rmi.org/resources/driving-electric-making-ev-charging-more-accessible-through-curbside-charging/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Driving Electric – Making EV Charging More Accessible Through Curbside Charging |date=9 June 2026 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/driving-electric-making-ev-charging-more-accessible-through-curbside-charging/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2026driving, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Driving Electric – Making EV Charging More Accessible Through Curbside Charging}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2026}, month = jun, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/driving-electric-making-ev-charging-more-accessible-through-curbside-charging/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }