What New $1.4B CEC Funding Means to California
If you’re a Californian, this Thanksgiving season brought a lot to be thankful for, notwithstanding both the Rams and Chargers getting shellacked on the road nor the average 24% price increase of frozen turkeys. No, rather we’re referring to the three-year $1.4 billion funding initiative that was quietly approved by the California Energy Commission the week before the feast-filled holiday kicked off. The goal? Close the Golden State’s 2025 infrastructure funding gap and speed up the push toward Governor Newsom’s plan for a zero-emission “autopia.”
READ MORENew EV Tax Incentives Will Drive Infrastructure Growth
Rarely has the progress of a fledgling new industry been so predicated upon passage of legislation as was the clean energy transportation sector with the $1.2 trillion once-in-a-lifetime infrastructure bill that Joe Biden signed into law on Monday. In addition to money for roads, bridges, ports, public transit – you know, all the usual stuff – the Build Back Better bill provides bold new incentives for drivers to go electric, including a $7,500 tax credit for EV buyers through 2026. Cars costing $50,000 or less and trucks, vans and SUVs costing $80,000 or less will qualify.
READ MOREEVCS to Bring Free Electric Vehicle Charging to the West Coast Electric Highway
ARCADIA, Calif (September 28, 2021) – EVCS, one of the largest electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging network owner operators on the West Coast, today announced that starting in October 2021, EV owners can enjoy free charging at West Coast Electric Highway (WCEH) charging stations in Oregon and Washington until upgrades on the network are completed in late 2021/early 2022. This news comes on the heels of their recent announcement that EVCS was approved and funded by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to upgrade 44 charging sites, add three new stations, and turn 11 into “superstations” in the Oregon portion of the WCEH.
READ MOREDot.LA: West Coast Electric Highway Project Charges Ahead as EVCS Adds Stations
Our latest advances with the West Coast Electric Highway, which we purchased in the summer of 2020, have been skillfully summarized in Zac Estrada’s recent piece for Dot.LA. The article elaborates on our partnership with Oregon’s DOT as we upgrade existing infrastructure to accommodate newer EVs with larger battery packs while simultaneously increasing charging speed. He also mentions new installations we’ve put in the ground along key interstate highway routes and our initiative to add charging ports for electric bikes and scooters. Ultimately, the WCEH will become a linchpin in the quest to facilitate wider EV adoption, not only on the West Coast, but throughout the country. Read Estrada’s entire article below.
READ MOREWest Coast Electric Highway to Receive Extensive Upgrade from EVCS
ARCADIA, Calif. (August XX, 2021) – EV Charging Solutions (EVCS), one of the largest electric vehicle (EV) fast charging network operators on the West Coast, today announced that they are approved and funded by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to upgrade 44 and add three new electric vehicle charging stations on the Oregon portion of the original West Coast Electric Highway (WCEH). Eleven of the 47 stations will be called “superstations” and will include three DC fast chargers and one Level 2 AC charger. In all, more than 100 charging ports will be upgraded or added.
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