California Mandates Progress on Electric Mobility

Last week, governor Gavin Newsom made major headlines when he announced through executive order that California will prohibit the sale of new gas-powered cars and trucks starting in 2035 – just 15 years away. Additional regulations will call for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to be carbon-neutral by 2045. For those of us who have been decrying the slow transition from pollutant-emitting internal combustion engines to more efficient ones powered by zero-emission lithium-ion batteries, it was welcomed news.

California is by far the largest vehicle market in the country, meaning such a mandate will effectively force auto manufacturers to start reshaping the future of vehicle production now. Moreover, the Golden State is already home to more EV’s than any other, making it a natural catalyst to spur such a change. According to Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury News (see here: https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/09/23/newsom-bans-sale-of-all-new-gasoline-powered-cars-starting-in-2035/), these new rules “mark the beginning of the end of the internal combustion engine in California.”

So, what does this all mean for EVCS? Well, Rogers’ piece also notes concerns from people like Brian Maas, president of the California New Car Dealers Association, who rightfully questions whether the requisite infrastructure (i.e., charging stations) will be present, as the order essentially directs all new vehicles to be either battery electric or hydrogen fuel cell. We see this as an opportunity. Our mission has always been to address the dearth of charging options across California and beyond, and Newsom’s mandate focuses everyone’s attention on how to make it possible – from governments that can offer rebates and incentives to businesses that can install or host chargers to drivers who can start assessing their future mobility needs.

It’s true that several obstacles may still stand in the way of this electric dream becoming a reality. The constitutionality of the mandates, which were not passed through normal legislative processes, could come under federal scrutiny, particularly if Donald Trump is reelected in November. In addition, many have questioned whether the state’s struggling electrical grid, which resulted in rolling brown-outs earlier this year, can sustain the power required to fuel a transportation revolution of such magnitude.

The concerns are genuine, but may be ill-founded considering we have a decade and a half to prepare – not an unreasonable timeline if we get our collective butts in gear. The idea behind such a mandate is to incentivize private industry to build the sort of infrastructure that will power all of these new autos – simultaneously creating new categories of jobs, shoring up the grid, manufacturing more energy-efficient vehicles and cleaning up California’s poor air quality. As for concerns with legality, our hope is that the momentum generated by Newsom’s edict will last, even if the mandate doesn’t, leading to an appreciable increase in EV infrastructure and manufacturing.

Either way, EVCS is well-positioned to take advantage of California’s push to mandate more EV’s. We have access to numerous funding sources that will facilitate new charging infrastructure across the state, allowing site hosts to profit from additional revenue streams without shouldering any of the costs. We employ countless electrical and civil engineers to perform the actual installations. We have already invested heavily in state-of-the-art networking software that allows for more efficient management of such infrastructure. And we have already begun upgrading the Oregon/Washington segments of the West Coast Electric Highway, reinforcing our commitment to advancing electric mobility outside California while establishing a model the state could follow.

In short, we want to make this new mandate a rallying cry for all those who share our mission. It’s a true leadership moment. And we plan to answer the call by carving new electric highways all across the state so that when 2035 comes, a new generation of EV drivers will already be out and about.

Follow developments about the mandate on the governor’s official website here: https://www.gov.ca.gov/2020/09/23/governor-newsom-announces-california-will-phase-out-gasoline-powered-cars-drastically-reduce-demand-for-fossil-fuel-in-californias-fight-against-climate-change/

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Navigating California’s New EV Mandate

California’s going all in on electric. On August 25th, Governor Gavin Newsom made a very important announcement concerning the future of transportation in the Golden State: “We can solve this climate crisis if we focus on the big, bold steps necessary to cut pollution. California now has a groundbreaking, world-leading plan to achieve 100 percent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035.” Big and bold, indeed. And while highly encouraging, it brings up a number of questions moving forward.

How EVCS is Repairing Reliability Concerns

One of the biggest concerns among EV drivers today is the reliability of public chargers. One recent survey from the Department of Bioengineering at UC Berkeley claims as many as 23% of public chargers in the Bay Area alone are, as Wired sums up, “nonfunctioning at any given time, stymied by broken screens, shoddy credit card or payment systems, network connection failures, or damaged plugs.” And that’s in a locale prioritizing the conversion to electric. Testimony from motorists seems to corroborate these findings. A CEC survey of 1,290 EV drivers found that fully 60% had experienced damaged or inoperable chargers, while almost half needed assistance from customer service. We find this wholly unacceptable and have taken measures to ensure that chargers in the EVCS network rise to the standard of operability our customers expect. Here are a few ways we’re doing that:

Installation of the Month (July 2022): Kenwood Inn & Spa

A key focus for us over the last several years has been the installation of additional chargers at holiday hot spots, tourist destinations, and other key points of interest. Not only will it help dispel long-range travel anxiety among many new EV drivers, but it will also lead to a significant reduction in carbon emissions otherwise generated by gas-guzzlers during peak vacation seasons. Moreover, our egalitarian approach to site selection means we’re just as likely to install a charger at a McDonald’s as we are at a Morton’s since we understand the value in catering to a broad clientele. However, higher net worth individuals continue to drive EV sales in the US (a June 2021 Fuels Institute study specifies middle-aged males with household incomes over $100,000), so catering to venues that offer a luxury experience will encourage even greater participation by this group while serving as a bellwether for lower-income drivers who are attracted to the idea of electric mobility as a symbol of status.

Mexico to Canada EV Road Trip: EVCS Interview

We sat down with EV owner and enthusiast Anthony Williams, a 60-year-old business owner from San Diego, who recently commemorated the 10-year anniversary of his first trans-American road trip in an EV by retracing the same route to see what had changed in the world of EV fast charging, for better or for worse. Below are some of his insights and feedback.

Installation of the Month (June 2022): KPC Anaheim Global Medical Center

“For us, healthcare is not only about caring for our patients, but also about investing in the people who live in our communities.” These are the words emblazoned across the home page of the KPC Anaheim Global Medical Center’s website. Facilities like these are attractive partners for us because, like us, their goal is the betterment of humanity. In fact, just replace “healthcare” with “electric mobility” and “patients” with “planet,” and you have the EVCS mission statement in a nutshell. Allying with kindred spirits creates a natural synergy for us through the sharing of core values like customer service and an improved quality of life. Imagine then our excitement when KPC decided to install four of our newest DC fast chargers on their Anaheim property, giving us the opportunity to continue expanding our network southward.