Earlier this year, the state of California made an announcement that echoed the policies of several nations — it would ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by the year 2035. As legislation to speed the transition to electric vehicles goes, this represents a massive step forward — but it left some questions unanswered when it comes to the bigger picture of the EV ecosystem.
Or, to phrase it another way — how do you make sure a massive influx of new EVs can be easily charged?
Now, there’s a bit more of an answer there as well. As Engadget reports, the state of California will be making a massive investment in the charging infrastructure available to drivers in the coming years. An announcement from the California Energy Commission offers more details — including the plan’s goal of adding 90,000 more charging stations to the state in the years to come.
To that end, the CEC approved $2.9 billion in investments. As a point of reference, there are currently 80,000 charging stations in California; this new plan would more than double that figure within the next four years. This new announcement comes on the heels of a $2.6 billion plan from the California Air Resources Board to offer new vehicle rebates, among other things.
“The plan will increase access to charging and hydrogen fueling for individuals, businesses and public agencies, while supporting our emerging manufacturing ecosystem and creating jobs,” said Patty Monahan, the CEC’s Lead Commissioner for Transportation, in a statement. “Most importantly, it provides critical funding to support the move away from dirty trucks and buses that have burdened our most vulnerable communities for too long.”
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