Which will come first More electric cars on California’s streets or additional chargers for electric cars?
This chicken-and-egg problem has plagued the gasoline-to-electric switch, which is due to be completed by 2035 according to a target set by Governor Gavin Newsom to reduce the harmful smog and greenhouse gases that cause global climate change.
Southern California Edison announced a plan on Monday, July 12, to exponentially multiply the number of car electric chargers placed in Southern California, increasing from around 3,000 now to over 40,000 over the next four years.
SCE, the Rosemead-based, investor-run utility company serving portions of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, will spend $ 436 million to incentivize the installation of electrical charging outlets for its public school customers, Town halls, libraries, hospitals, shopping malls and multi-family condominiums, townhouses and apartment complexes.
With the start of the second round of the “Charge Ready†program, commercial and industrial property owners as well as apartment building associations can apply for a wide range of programs to help them install electric car chargers powered by SCE power.
“More charging equipment is needed to give these EV drivers the peace of mind to charge whenever and wherever they want,” said Carter Prescott, SCE director for eMobility and Building Electrification, during the virtual introductory presentation on Monday. “And SCE will continue to lead the way in electrifying transportation and ensuring an effective framework for a clean air future for our communities.”
Several companies took advantage of the smaller round one pilot in 2018, which added 2,700 charging ports in nearly 150 locations and ended in May. For example, the Fairplex in Pomona has partnered with SCE to install 200 electric car chargers on the 487-acre site that hosts the Los Angeles County Fair and 400 other events throughout the year.
The City of Long Beach also participated, adding 102 charging ports in five locations including the Aquarium of the Pacific, The Pike Outlets and the Long Beach Police Academy.
Locations in the San Bernardino and Riverside counties received 257 charging points in 21 locations, including those in the city of Ontario in the Civic Center Complex, Citizens Business Bank Arena and the Ontario Convention Center, SCE officials said.
“We know EVs and charging are part of what California will be in the future and where it is going now,” said Walter Marquez, Interim CEO of Fairplex during a panel discussion with first-time attendees on Monday. Marquez said the future should include electric vehicle charging, especially when LA Metro’s all-electric Gold Line light rail is within 100 meters of the Fairplex property. The line, now known as the L-Line, is currently under construction.
The budget approved by the California Public Utilities Commission is sufficient to add around 38,000 new charging points in the SCE service area in four years.
Obviously, the state has a long way to go to achieve its goal.
At the end of 2020, SCE had around 5,500 charging ports in its service area, if you include the charging of cars and heavy and medium-duty charging stations for buses, trucks and fleet vehicles. SCE officials estimate that around 9,000 or more will be added annually as part of the new program.
The state intends to achieve “CO2 neutrality†by 2045. But to get there, about 26 million cars – almost all of which are on the streets today – have to be electric vehicles, said Pedro Pizarro, President and CEO of Edison International during the webinar. He wants to have 7 million electric cars on California’s roads by 2030, he said.
Traffic accounts for almost two fifths of the state’s CO2 emissions. Achieving zero CO2 emissions would mean a complete switch to electric vehicles. Of the roughly 26 million cars and 6 million trucks on the roads today, about 860,000 electric vehicles are registered in the state, and of those about 280,000 are in the SCE area, Paul Griffo, SCE spokesman, said in an email -Answer.
SCE plans to target installations in disadvantaged communities. It also creates incentives for existing and not yet built apartment buildings by offering discounts and, in some cases, covering installation and infrastructure costs.
Russ Khouri, senior vice president of Orange-based Investment Concepts Inc., had chargers installed in three of the company’s apartment buildings and may add more. “With gasoline usage soaring, it may be time to start a program and give our residents the ability to charge their cars right at home,” he said.
Thoroughbred Properties in Laguna Beach manages office and commercial properties. Karen Hickey, president, who listened to the webinar, said she had tenants interested in charging their electric cars.
“SCE has incentives to pay for the infrastructure. It could be a win for everyone, â€said Hickey.
More information about the program can be found at sce.com/chargeready.
