California announces billion dollar electric vehicle charger initiative

California continues to build out what is already one of the largest clean vehicle networks in America, made up of more than 150,000 public and shared private electric vehicle (EV) chargers.

On Dec.11, the California Energy Commission (CEC) announced another $1.4 billion investment in its charging and hydrogen refueling network, the largest in the country, serving light, medium, and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles.

"An important part of achieving our clean car future is building chargers in every corner of California, especially in neighborhoods historically left behind. With this investment, and the help of the private sector, we’re building a bigger, better vehicle charging network that ensures Californians can reliably and affordably get where they’re going," said California governor Gavin Newsom.

The billion-dollar allocation will see a four-year deployment of 17,000 more chargers, with the goal of reaching 250,000 chargers in the next few years. The announcement comes as part of California's Clean Transportation Program, a funding effort to deploy zero-emission transportation and fuel technologies as part of the state's climate change goals.

The Biden administration has invested heavily in building out the country's electric vehicle infrastructure through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, with a wave of clean energy fund announcements as his term nears it end. On Dec. 12, the Department of Energy (DOE) unveiled a $1.25 billion loan guarantee to EVgo Swift Borrower, operators of the nation's largest EV charging networks. The loan will see 7,500 new fast chargers added nationwide.

"There are currently more than 204,000 publicly available charging ports, with nearly 38,000 new public chargers already having been added this year and nearly 1,000 new public chargers being added every week thanks to a combination of direct federal funding, federal tax incentives, state and local funding, and private investment," the DOE explained.

In October, the administration announced $44 million in funding to reduce EV battery costs and reduce their environmental impact. In November, the Department of Energy released. $70 million in funding for small- and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs), specifically targeting the automative and electric vehicle industry. The agency simultaneously announced $17 million in grant funding for local and territorial governments to "improve energy efficiency, reduce climate pollution, and lower overall energy use."