US funds EV charging and hydrogen stations in California
The funding is divided between six projects. The biggest part, namely 55.9 million dollars, is reserved for the commercial vehicle sector. It will be used to install 21 public charging sites for electric trucks, featuring “at least 130 high-powered zero-emission vehicle charger ports across the heavily trafficked routes within California and between California and Nevada.” It will also go towards the installation of one hydrogen refuelling station for heavy-duty vehicles.
“Reducing emissions from our transportation sector is a key component in reaching California’s ambitious climate and clean air goals,” said US Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.). “But to facilitate the zero-emissions transition, we must rapidly deploy charging and clean-fueling infrastructure to keep our supply chain moving and improve the daily commute for millions of Californians. Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, these investments will decarbonize our freight sector, protect public health, and help low-income communities save on their energy costs.”
The remainder of the grant will go to five communities for public EV chargers for electric cars. The City and County of San Francisco Environment Department will receive $15 million for the installation of “up to 300 EV charging ports in publicly accessible garages, lots, and curbside locations, primarily serving disadvantaged and other underserved communities.” That includes Level 2 and DC chargers.
The city of Santa Cruz $14.35 million to install EV charging ports at 44 local government-owned sites, including public parking lots. The city of San Bernadino will have $14.06 million at its disposal to create the city’s first public charging network by installing 101 EV chargers at 15 municipally-owned locations. The city of San Jose will get 12 million dollars to install 120 EV charge points at public libraries and another 117 in neighbouring cities within the Silicon Valley Clean Energy service area. The focus is on underserved communities throughout Santa Clara County.
Last but not least, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District will receive $11.63 million to set up nine EV charging hubs. The exact number of planned charge points is not communicated. Moreover, the project “will engage with the public to educate community members on electric vehicle benefits.”
This is already the third funding round of the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Programme, for which a new call was launched at the end of May. After a total of 318 million dollars went to California in the first two rounds in 2024, the now approved 122.9 million dollars will now be distributed on a project basis.
The CFI programme comprises a total of 2.5 billion US dollars. At the end of May, the US government pledged USD 1.3 billion of this for a funding call. The CFI programme runs in addition to the five billion US dollar National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Programme. While the NEVI programme focuses on fast charging stations along highways, the CFI programme concentrates on the development of charging stations and alternative refuelling infrastructure (hydrogen and gas) in cities and rural areas, particularly in underserved and disadvantaged communities.
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