Visitors to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park now have a new reason to bring their electric vehicles: charging stations have been installed on-site, giving history buffs a place to plug in while they wander the historic adobe buildings and old-fashioned storefronts. San Diego Gas and Electric revealed the new chargers this week, marking what the utility says is its first installation of this kind at a California state park.
According to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News, the chargers were installed as part of SDG&E's Power Your Drive for Parks and Beaches program, according to an SDG&E news release cited by the station. The program is designed to expand public access to EV chargers in high-traffic areas, and SDG&E has said the new equipment gives drivers charging options based on how long they plan to stay at the park.
California State Parks San Diego Coast District Superintendent Lisa Adams framed the addition as both a practical upgrade and an invitation. “We're excited to introduce this great opportunity for visitors to plug in their cars, unplug from the everyday and journey through San Diego's rich and diverse history,” Adams said, per the station's report. She added that adding EV charging expands the ways people can reach and experience Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.
Part of a Much Larger Regional Buildout
The Old Town installation isn't a one-off. SDG&E's Power Your Drive for Parks and Beaches program is slated to bring 74 EV chargers to roughly a dozen sites, according to San Diego Gas & Electric, which also says it will own, maintain and operate the equipment once it's in the ground. A related, broader electrification effort from the utility is set to add 196 chargers at 30 school sites and 140 chargers at 22 park and beach sites across the region, the company notes on a separate page describing its electrification projects.
The Old Town additions build on similar infrastructure the utility has already installed elsewhere in the county, including at Imperial Beach Sports Park and the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians' ballfields in Valley Center. At Imperial Beach, SDG&E installed four Level 2 chargers capable of delivering up to 26 miles of range per hour of charging, part of a wider Power Your Drive for Schools, Parks and Beaches effort aiming for 336 chargers at 52 sites regionwide, according to SDG&E Today.
The Valley Center installation, completed in August 2023, brought 10 new Level 2 chargers to the tribe's ballfields — SDG&E's first public-facing chargers on tribal land, with two of the stalls built to be ADA accessible, per SDG&E Today. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that project cost about $140,000 and delivered chargers capable of adding 10 to 20 miles of range per hour. By the time of that 2023 completion, the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians already had nearly 100 chargers spread across its tribal facilities.
Why San Diego Keeps Adding Plugs at Public Spaces
The push to wire up parks and recreation sites ties back to California's broader climate targets. The state has set a goal of putting five million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2030 and phasing out sales of new gas-powered cars by 2035, according to SDG&E's electrification overview. The utility has also pointed out that the transportation sector is the single largest source of greenhouse-gas emissions, and in communities like Imperial Beach, tailpipe emissions account for an outsized share of local pollution — 57% there compared with 41% statewide, per SDG&E Today's reporting.
California State Parks has separately pursued charger installations through its own climate initiatives; a program described by Adopt a Charger as part of the state's Cool Parks effort has focused on addressing climate change and promoting environmental education through EV infrastructure at park sites. A CEQA filing also shows plans for new underground power lines and EV charging stations at the visitor center day-use area of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, though that project's status wasn't detailed in available records.
For now, details about exactly how many chargers were installed at Old Town, their charging speed, and whether drivers will pay a fee to use them haven't been spelled out in available reporting. What is clear is that the historic park — known for its preserved 19th-century buildings and living-history demonstrations — has joined a growing list of San Diego County public sites where visitors can top off a battery while they explore.
