SACRAMENTO, Calif. /CALIFORNIA NEWSWIRE/ — Calif. Governor Gavin Newsom announced that there are now 201,180 fully public and shared electric vehicle (EV) charging ports available for use throughout the state. This is 68% more EV charger ports than the number of gasoline nozzles statewide, according to the California Energy Commission (CEC).
This week, the Governor also announced clean truck sales continued to rise in California in 2024, with zero-emission models representing nearly 1 in 4 of all new truck sales.
“In the state of California, 94% of people now live within just 10 minutes of an EV charger. We’re proving that electric vehicles are here to stay – even as Trump sells out American innovation and jobs to China,” said Governor Gavin Newsom.
California’s growing number of publicly available EV chargers can be found at highly accessible locations like grocery stores, parking lots, and even gas stations. Shared chargers can be found at apartment complexes, workplaces, sports facilities, and other parking areas. This statewide network of public and shared chargers is in addition to the estimated 800,000 EV chargers installed in single family homes.
“With this expanding public network, EV chargers are becoming ubiquitous in California,” said CEC Commissioner Nancy Skinner. “Our goal is to make driving an EV a no-brainer choice for Californians. They are fun to drive, never need an oil change, don’t cause smog, and it’s getting easier to charge your vehicle with public EV infrastructure.”
Federal ZEV incentives end September 30
Thanks to the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress, federal incentives are ending on September 30. Tax credits up to $7,500 are available until then for purchase or lease of eligible new ZEVs, which include EVs and hydrogen-fueled vehicles, and up to $4,000 for eligible used ones. Federal incentives for at-home charging and associated battery storage are also available, up to $1,000.
California is charging ahead
State agencies recently published a report in response to Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order reaffirming the state’s commitment to ZEV adoption. While the federal government wants to keep us hooked on gas, California is charging ahead in the fight for clean air for all.
California is tearing down barriers to ZEV adoption and providing financial and other assistance to speed up EV charger deployment including in low-income areas and rural communities.
California state agencies continue efforts to speed up EV charger installation and plan for increasing grid demand. This includes:
Providing grant funds that support publicly accessible, workplace and at-home charging installations, including in multi-family complexes, throughout the state.
Prioritizing shovel-ready fast-charging installations for the funding incentives available through the CEC’s grant solicitation programs.
Developing the ZEV Infrastructure Plan, a comprehensive plan that lays out the overall infrastructure strategy to meet California’s zero-emission transportation goals.
Establishing charger reliability standards.
In June, the state successfully blocked the Trump Administration from unlawfully withholding billions of dollars in funding approved by bipartisan majorities in Congress for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
California also announced today that there are 20,093 charging and hydrogen fueling points for medium- and heavy-duty (MDHD) zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) vehicles across the state. This is an increase of 3,766 (23%) since the last update in February.
While trucks total just six percent of vehicles on California’s roads, they account for over 35 percent of the state’s transportation emissions and a quarter of the state’s on-road greenhouse gases.
California’s climate leadership
Pollution is down and the economy is up. Greenhouse gas emissions in California are down 20% since 2000 – even as the state’s GDP increased 78% in that same time period all while becoming the world’s fourth largest economy.
The state also continues to set clean energy records. California was powered by two-thirds clean energy in 2023, the latest year for which data is available – the largest economy in the world to achieve this level of clean energy. The state has run on 100% clean electricity for some part of the day almost every day this year.
Since the beginning of the Newsom Administration, battery storage is up to over 15,000 megawatts – a 1,900%+ increase, and over 25,000 megawatts of new resources have been added to the electric grid.
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This version of news first appeared on CaliforniaNewswire.com
