California really wants this EV thing to work out, so it’s doubling the number of chargers.
EV charging infrastructure is one of the biggest roadblocks to EV adoption, often falling right behind purchase cost as one of the reasons why some drivers are hesitant to switch. But, California wants to make that better, so it’s investing $2.9 billion to add an additional 90,000 chargers to the 80,000 chargers that currently exist in the state.
The plan, approved by the California Energy Commission (CEC) on December 14, the big plan is meant to help California hit its goal of 250,000 chargers, by 2025. Funding for the program comes from the state, but other entities and utility commissions should help the state reach its lofty goal.
Interestingly, the push seems to favor big EV commercial vehicles, about $1.7 billion of that will go toward establishing infrastructure for medium and heavy-duty EVs, like tractor-trailers, or the increasing use of fully-electric school busses. $900 million will go to light-duty EVs, like passenger cars and trucks. Hydrogen isn’t left out either, $90 million goes to building up more hydrogen refueling infrastructure.
The idea is that the EV charging infrastructure should support the transition to EVs in heavy-duty vehicles, to allay pollution damage in communities that see a lot of heavy-duty ICE truck traffic. At least 50 percent of the budget will go to what the CEC designates as “priority populations.”
California wants every new vehicle sold in the state to be an EV or PHEV by 2035.
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