In a boost for electric vehicle reliability, the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded Caltrans more than $63 million in federal funds to fix and install more than 1,000 chargers at 300 sites statewide.
The $63.7 million from the federal Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator (EVC RAA) grant program — part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — will replace broken charging stations and install additional chargers to meet new federal standards for public charging infrastructure.
"Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, California will receive nearly $64 million to improve EV charging stations across the state," said Sen. Alex Padilla. "Accelerating the adoption of an electric vehicle powered future requires a strong, reliable, accessible charging network across the state."
"This funding will allow California to continue to lead the nation in zero-emission-vehicle adoption, increasing reliability and cutting planet-warming pollution," said California State Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin. "We want to thank the Biden-Harris Administration, Sen. Alex Padilla and the state's congressional delegation for supporting the expansion of a charging network throughout the state while combatting climate change."
"Increasing the accessibility and standardization of EV charging stations will help us to build a more modern transportation system," said Tony Tavares, Caltrans director. "This latest federal funding will support Caltrans in achieving its climate action goals."
By the Numbers
- California currently has the most electric chargers in the nation with more than 42,000;
- California leads the country in all zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) market metrics, including the largest EV market share percentage, and the most extensive public charging infrastructure;
- The success of the state's programs has led to ZEVs becoming top export and has spurred major advances in manufacturing and job creation;
- More than 25 percent of new passenger vehicles sold in California through Q3 of 2023 were zero-emission vehicles;
- California has reached its ZEV truck sales goal two years ahead of schedule;
- This latest award comes on the heels of California's call for projects to support $40 million in charging projects;
- Ten EV charging and hydrogen fueling projects in California, totaling $168 million, were recently awarded funding under the Federal Highway Administration's Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program.
