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California Puts the Pedal to the Metal with $1.4 Billion in EV Charging Infrastructure ConstructionCalifornia Puts the Pedal to the Metal with $1.4 Billion in EV Charging Infrastructure Construction
The state is home of 30 percent of all US EV sales, so it needs more public charging stations.
3 Min Read
A row of newly built EV chargers located at a Costco.Electrify America
At a Glance
- California will provide $1.4 billion in grants and loans over the next four years in support of public EV charging stations.
- The state predicts this will produce another 17,000 charging stations.
- Currently underserved drivers in multifamily housing and rural areas are the focus.
California is stepping on the, er, electron pedal, accelerating toward a planned all-electric vehicle future that is scheduled for 2035, when the current plan calls for an end to combustion vehicle sales in the state.
The state approved a new $1.4 billion in spending to aid the construction of public EV charging stations. This encompasses not only light-duty passenger vehicles but also medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, as California needs to eliminate the diesel trucks that contribute to continuing smog problems.
This latest installment, slated to be spent over the next four years, is part of California’s $10 billion commitment to EV infrastructure. Increasing the availability and convenience of public EV charging are a couple of key ingredients to pushing reluctant adopters toward EV purchases.
The state says that this new effort will result in nearly 17,000 new light-duty chargers statewide on top of the existing installed base of more than 152,000 public and shared private chargers.
In combination with funding from the federal government, utilities, and other investment programs, the state expects to reach 250,000 chargers in the next few years. More than half a million EV owners have private home chargers installed too. Homes that are less suitable for private chargers, such as apartments and row houses, point to the need for more robust public charging.
This latest round of EV charger spending specifically targets underserved communities, with a focus on low-income, rural, and tribal drivers. “Approval of the investment plan reaffirms California’s commitment to funding zero-emission refueling infrastructure,” said the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) Lead Commissioner for Transportation, Patty Monahan. “The plan prioritizes clean air benefits in low-income and disadvantaged communities that need it the most. There is no doubt – ZEVs are here to stay in the Golden State.”
The plan calls for the CEC to provide grants to distribute funding, selecting awardees through competitive solicitations. The range of funding mechanisms for these projects includes:
Competitive solicitation for grants — This is the most common funding mechanism in the Clean Transportation Program. Competitive scoring allows increased scrutiny of 15 key issues for each project type. However, it also requires significant time and attention to review each application and oversee each subsequent funding agreement.
Block grants — The CEC has used this funding mechanism to distribute Clean Transportation Program funding through third-party implementers, which are selected through a competitive process. Block grants allow the CEC to select another organization to administer Clean Transportation Program funding while following set procedures for project and applicant eligibility.
Direct agreements — The CEC may make a sole source award for applied research. The CEC may also enter into interagency agreements or contracts with public entities to obtain technical, scientific, or administrative services to support the Clean Transportation Program.
Loans — The CEC has recently partnered with CARB and the California Pollution Control Financing Authority on a loan program for ZEV infrastructure. The CEC has received feedback encouraging more loan programs and staff will continue to explore loans and other financing options. Recent feedback has also encouraged the CEC to release recurring funding solicitations on a more consistent schedule. The CEC is looking into implementing this request for certain recurring funding opportunities.
California points out that 26 percent of all new cars sold in the state in the third quarter of 2024 were EVs and that more than 2.1 million EVs have been sold there so far.
About the Author
Dan’s coverage of the auto industry over three decades has taken him to the racetracks, automotive engineering centers, vehicle simulators, wind tunnels, and crash-test labs of the world.
A member of the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year jury, Dan also contributes car reviews to Popular Science magazine, serves on the International Engine of the Year jury, and has judged the collegiate Formula SAE competition.
Dan is a winner of the International Motor Press Association's Ken Purdy Award for automotive writing, as well as the National Motorsports Press Association's award for magazine writing and the Washington Automotive Press Association's Golden Quill award.
Dan, testing the 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish. ANDY MORGAN/ASTON MARTIN
He has held a Sports Car Club of America racing license since 1991, is an SCCA National race winner, two-time SCCA Runoffs competitor in Formula F, and an Old Dominion Region Driver of the Year award winner. Co-drove a Ford Focus 1.0-liter EcoBoost to 16 Federation Internationale de l’Automobile-accredited world speed records over distances from just under 1km to over 4,104km at the CERAM test circuit in Mortefontaine, France.
He was also a longtime contributor to the Society of Automotive Engineers' Automotive Engineering International magazine.
He specializes in analyzing technical developments, particularly in the areas of motorsports, efficiency, and safety.
He has been published in The New York Times, NBC News, Motor Trend, Popular Mechanics, The Washington Post, Hagerty, AutoTrader.com, Maxim, RaceCar Engineering, AutoWeek, Virginia Living, and others.
Dan has authored books on the Honda S2000 and Dodge Viper sports cars and contributed automotive content to the consumer finance book, Fight For Your Money.
He is a member and past president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers.
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