California provides billions in funding for charging networks
The approved money will be used to install 40,000 new charging stations and H2 refuelling stations in California. The funds are part of the 48 billion dollar ‘California Climate Commitment’, which earmarks more than 10 billion dollars for zero-emission vehicles and their infrastructure. The state “has also received billions from the Biden-Harris Administration for clean transportation,” according to the California Energy Commission’s announcement.
The newly approved funding will be distributed “to projects through competitive grants” over the next four years, with at least half of the funds “targeted to benefit priority populations.” Companies, non-profit organisations, tribes and public institutions are eligible to apply. 1.02 billion is reserved for commercial vehicle charging and fuelling infrastructure, $658 million for passenger vehicle charging infrastructure and $130 million for charging and fuelling infrastructure at ports. There are also other smaller positions.
“We need to make sure that this is zero emission refuelling infrastructure for everybody,” said CEC’s Lead Commissioner for Transportation, Patty Monahan. “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.”
The CEC estimates that California will have around 7.1 million electric vehicles in 2030, requiring one million chargers. The additional 155,000 electric trucks and buses will require 114,500 chargers. By 2035, the CEC estimates that the numbers will increase to 15.2 million EVs and a required 2.1 million charging stations, as well as 377,000 electric trucks and buses and 264,000 required chargers.
Against this backdrop, the California Climate Commitment mentioned above will provide momentum. In January 2022, California increased its budget for investments in electric mobility to a total of ten billion dollars as part of this commitment. In November 2022, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved an investment plan totalling 2.6 billion dollars for EV purchase incentives and mobility offers as part of this commitment. In December 2022, it approved a 2.9 billion dollar investment plan to expand charging points for EV commercial vehicles.
Looking back, government statistics for 2023 show an electric market penetration of 25 per cent of new cars sold in California last year. Currently, there are nearly 94,000 public and publicly accessible charging stations installed. The authority does not provide any information on the coverage of hydrogen refuelling stations for commercial vehicles in its current announcement. For passenger cars, there were 55 locations. However, earlier this week, Shell announced that it closed all seven of its hydrogen refuelling stations for passenger cars in California with immediate effect.
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