Eugene, OR Parking Rules: EV Charging (2026)
Key Facts
- Charging capacity required
- 40% of parking spaces wired for EV charging
- Applies to
- New multi-unit dwellings; mixed-use with 5+ units
- Landscaping coverage cap
- Stations limited to 10% of required landscaping
- Setback height limit
- 42 inches maximum in required setbacks
- Governing section
- EC 9.6420(8)
- Max penalty
- $1,000/day fine or up to 100 days jail
Summary
New multi-unit dwellings and mixed-use buildings with five or more residential units in Eugene must wire 40 percent of on-site parking spaces for electric vehicle charging under EC 9.6420(8). The land use code requires the electrical capacity, not necessarily installed chargers, and sets placement standards for charging stations within landscaping and setback areas. The rule is current through Ordinance 20739, effective June 8, 2026.
(8) Electric Vehicle Charging. (a) The requirements of this subsection (8) apply to: 1. New multi-use dwellings; and 2. New mixed-use buildings consisting of privately owned commercial space and five or more residential dwelling units. (b) The developments described in subparagraph (a) of this subsection (8), shall include electrical service capacity as defined in ORS 455.417 to support electrical vehicle charging for 40 percent of all parking spaces on the development site. (d) Electric Vehicle Charging stations and ancillary equipment are permitted within required setbacks if the height of the charging station and/or ancillary equipment is no more than 42 inches.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 20739, passed June 8, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Eugene's land use code requires new multi-unit dwellings and mixed-use buildings that combine privately owned commercial space with five or more residential units to build in electrical service capacity, as defined in ORS 455.417, sufficient to support charging for 40 percent of all parking spaces on the development site under EC 9.6420(8)(b). The requirement covers the electrical infrastructure, conduit and panel capacity, rather than mandating that chargers themselves be installed at every space.
The code also regulates where charging equipment can sit once installed. Under EC 9.6420(8)(c), charging stations and ancillary equipment placed inside required parking-area landscaping cannot cover more than 10 percent of that landscaped area when viewed from above. EC 9.6420(8)(d) allows charging stations and equipment inside required building setbacks, but caps their height at 42 inches. Any signage identifying the charging stations has to comply with the city's sign standards beginning at EC 9.6600.
This EV provision sits inside EC 9.6420, the parking-area development standards section, alongside the city's large-parking-lot solar and tree-canopy requirements for surface lots over 21,780 square feet. The Eugene Code is current through Ordinance 20739, passed June 8, 2026, so this reflects the present wording of the parking chapter rather than an older, since-amended version some other sources may still show.
Violations & Fines
Eugene enforces its land use code, including EC 9.6420, through EC Chapter 9's general administration provisions. Under EC 9.0275(2), violating any land use code standard is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 per day the violation continues, confinement in jail for up to 100 days, or both. The city manager can also impose administrative civil penalties under EC 9.0270 and withhold permits or issue a stop-work order until compliance is restored.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Eugene require EV chargers to be installed, or just wiring?
Which buildings does the EV charging rule cover?
Can a charging station be placed in my setback or landscaping strip?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Eugene
Compare Eugene to another location·View the Oregon parking rules overview
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