The Benefits of Working with CARB and CEC

The California Energy Commission (CEC) bills itself as a pioneer in “leading the state to a 100% clean energy future.” It recently celebrated its 45th birthday and will be launching a “Clean Energy Hall of Fame” by announcing on December 10th awards honoring groups that are successfully contributing to a carbon-neutral California.

Similarly, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is tasked with developing initiatives to combat the damaging effects of smog and air pollution – something our state knows a little bit about – and they’ve been instrumental in promoting cap-and-trade, LCFS credits and ZEV programs.

This is all to say that these are exactly the sort of organizations we’re proud to work with as we deploy EV charging infrastructure across the state, which simultaneously increases clean energy consumption while decreasing greenhouse gases and other air pollutants.

According to the CEC, cumulative lifetime light-duty ZEV sales in the Golden State through Q2 of 2020 have reached nearly three quarters of a million units, with nearly 10% of that occurring in Q1-Q2 of 2020 alone. This clearly shows a growing demand for clean energy vehicles and, in turn, a need for the infrastructure that will support them.

At last count, the state played host to 62,037 EV chargers – 56.5% of which were privately owned, with the remaining 43.5% available to the public. No surprise to us that the counties with the largest number of DC fast chargers are Los Angeles, Orange and Santa Clara, which boast denser urban populations. These counties are, incidentally, the only three out of California’s 58 counties with 400+ DCFC installations, meaning there’s plenty of opportunity for growth across the state.

As we march toward 2035, the reality of Governor Newsom’s executive order requiring all new car sales in California to be ZEVs will (hopefully) motivate counties to action, especially those that have otherwise been slow to adopt clean fuel infrastructure. Nearly a dozen counties don’t have a single DC fast charger and approximately 25% have just 10 or less level 2 chargers – across the whole county!

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We’ve always maintained that the greatest barrier to entry in the EV marketplace is the lack of reliable charging options outside single-family homes. But as we grow, so too does our ability to change these statistics. Our turnkey EV solutions have brought numerous benefits to local municipalities across a number of case studies, including additional tax dollars from increased sales (retail, auto, energy, etc.) and rising property values.

While we continue to build installations in areas with high-density populations, which account for a plurality of EV sales, we also want to focus attention on areas of the state with a dearth of installations in order to incentivize greater EV sales there.

For instance, very little EV infrastructure exists in any California counties north of Sonoma, Napa and Sacramento. Plugging these gaps will facilitate more travel between California and other northwestern states like Oregon and Washington, where we’ve already began upgrading the West Coast Electric Highway. More sites also need to be added between LA and San Francisco, with prominent routes through Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey and Santa Cruz counties still lacking.

Bottom line: with assistance from the CEC, whose Clean Transportation Program invests up to $100 million annually in projects across the state, and CARB, whose Zero-Emission Vehicle Program is designed to transition drivers from petroleum to clean energy sources through regulation, we believe EVCS has the tools to help California meet its statewide emissions targets and other EV-related goals over the next decade and a half.

Up-to-date statistics on statewide EV charging infrastructure can be found here: https://tableau.cnra.ca.gov/t/CNRA_CEC/views/DMVDataPortal_15986380698710/ZEVInfrastructure?%3AshowAppBanner=false&%3Adisplay_count=n&%3AshowVizHome=n&%3Aorigin=viz_share_link&%3AisGuestRedirectFromVizportal=y&%3Aembed=y

See what the CEC has to say about the transition to zero-emission mobility here: https://www.energy.ca.gov/programs-and-topics/programs/clean-transportation-program/clean-transportation-funding-areas-0

See what CARB is doing to advance ZEV sales throughout California here: https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/zev-collaboration

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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.”

New 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.

Installations of the Month (November 2021): LADOT Lots 628 & 639

Los Angeles continues to be the epicenter for America’s green transportation “EV-olution,” and EVCS continues to lead the charge there, having installed over half the city’s publicly accessible non-Tesla charging stations for two years running. According to industry group Veloz, nearly one in 10 new vehicle sales in California are plug-in vehicles – which accounts for 45% of all plug-in vehicle sales nationwide – and that trend is only growing. In our research, many Angelenos cite the increased prevalence of DCFCs as a key reason why owning an EV has become practical, reducing their range anxiety and offering lightning-fast charging options while they shop, eat and play. This further reinforces the idea that greater access to modern charging infrastructure leads to more EVs on the road, especially in underserved areas that are sorely in need of outside economic investment to spur growth.

Partnerships for Progress: Spotlight on Barlow Respiratory Hospital

Every now and then, if you’re lucky, you have the good fortune to engage with a strategic partner who shares your goals, values and vision. With acres of common ground, you effortlessly work hand in hand to advance causes that truly matter to the both of you. For EVCS, Barlow Respiratory Hospital is such a partner – one of those rare facilities that fully embodies our commitment to making the planet a safer, healthier, happier place, one person at a time.

The Electrical Vehicle Industry Keeps Growing, and More Drivers are Making the Switch

The electrical vehicle industry keeps growing and more drivers are making the switch. This is why governments around the world are working to provide EV users with more and more places to recharge their cars. At EVCS, we’ve created an app that you can use when wondering “Hey, where can I find electric car charging stations near me.”