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The California Energy Commission recently announced $55 million in funding to expand the Golden State’s public EV fast charging infrastructure. California is the leading electric vehicle and EV charging state in the US by far. Of course, this status has a lot to do with public policy. The state of California has planned to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles in California by 2035.
Adding many new fast chargers for members of the public supports greater EV adoption. Greater EV charging infrastructure is the top solution to “range anxiety,” not waiting for EVs to have 600 miles of range, which is not necessary.
California Energy Commission staff answered some questions about the new funding for CleanTechnica.
Who is the $55 million incentive program for?
To qualify for the Charge California Project, sites must be publicly accessible, and priority will be given to locations in tribal areas, disadvantaged communities, and low-income communities — areas often underserved by fast-charging infrastructure. Eligible locations include convenience stores, gas stations, retail centers, parking lots, and other high-traffic destinations.
About how many public EV fast chargers are in California right now?
There are 15,639 public direct current fast chargers in California. You can view our dashboard here: https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/zero-emission-vehicle-and-infrastructure-statistics-collection/electric
About how many new public fast chargers will be installed as a result of the program?
Since this is the application phase, the CEC does not have estimates at this time.
What are the eligible locations for the funding?
All regions of the state are eligible.
Does the program cover 100% of project costs?
Incentives can cover up to 100% of total approved costs, capped at $100,000 per charging port.
How many fully electric light duty EVs are there in California right now?
At the end of 2024, there were 1,453,944 battery electric vehicles in the state.
How many public EV chargers are operating in California right now, slow and fast charging?
There are 84,271 fully public EV chargers and 94,278 shared private EV chargers.
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