It’s a good time to start thinking about an electric vehicle, especially if you live in the Golden State. California is investing $1.9 billion into alternative vehicle technologies over the next four years. The money will go toward building new charging stations, expanding hydrogen fuel cell programs and supporting ongoing research.
The investments, which state representatives say will bolster infrastructure for zero-emission vehicles across the state, are designed to reach into communities that may’ve felt left behind by the EV boom. California says more than 25% of new cars sold in the state are electric, and that low-income and disadvantaged communities are going to need a lot of support to catch up.
“We need to make sure that this is zero emission refueling infrastructure for everybody,” California clean energy commissioner Patty Monahan said in a statement. “By investing a bulk of funds to benefit low-income and disadvantaged communities, the state is making sure communities most in need have better access to chargers and less pollution from trucks and buses.”
California’s investments come at a time when zero-emission vehicles are increasingly available to buy, but their near future is still uncertain. US automakers have expressed concern about demand in the face of falling prices, in particular from Chinese car companies that are offering lower-cost products.
California is hoping its investments will help juice demand so more people buy EVs. The state has earmarked $5 million for job training and manufacturing projects. It’s also providing enough funding to boost the number of chargers around the state to 2.1 million by 2035, assuming there will be about 15.2 million EVs and 377,000 electric trucks and buses on the road. It’s a benefit to the state, since EVs have a smaller impact on the environment than gasoline-powered cars.
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, meanwhile, are a rarer commodity. Few major automakers offer production fuel cell vehicles to the public right now, and there aren’t many fueling stations either. California’s plan will increase the number of fueling stations in the state, funding 96 public hydrogen fueling stations through the program. There are currently 61 open today, the state says, with most of them concentrated in Los Angeles and its immediate surrounding areas.
Here’s everything being done to push more people to buy EVs in California, and across the US, including standardized charging, tax credits and home chargers.
