California Commits $100 Million to Build EV-Charging Stations

A new initiative in California will increase the infrastructure for EVs.
Credit: DOE, Charles Watkins

California Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. joined with the California Public Utilities Commission on March 23 to announce a $100 million dollar fund for the construction of a statewide network of charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs). The plan calls for at least 200 public fast-charging stations and another 10,000 plug-in units at 1,000 locations across the state. The funds come from a $120 million settlement with NRG Energy, Inc. that stems from ten-year-old claims during the state's energy crisis. The settlement did not involve EVs.

The network of charging stations funded by the settlement will be installed in the San Francisco Bay Area, the San Joaquin Valley, the Los Angeles Basin, and San Diego County. The goal is to support cleaner air and reduce dependence on foreign oil. Governor Brown also announced that he has signed an executive order laying the foundation for 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on California's roadways by 2025. In January, the California Air Resources Board voted to require the largest automakers to derive 15%, or about 1.4 million, of their annual California sales from EVs or other zero- or near-zero emissions vehicles by 2025. See the executive order and the governor's press release.

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DOE, Volvo partners build trucks that are more efficient

DOE stressed on 27 January its partnership with the Volvo Group to market and deploy innovative technologies that help, the competitiveness of U.S. car truck and the processing industry. Through DOE's Super Truck program, the Volvo Group received $ 19 million to improve the efficiency of commercial vehicles such as the Mack and Volvo trucks. The company is the Super Truck Program Award dollar for dollar match. The Volvo Group, participate in one of the four Super truck development projects, which are on increasing the fuel efficiency of trucks of class 8, known as 18-wheelers, by 50%. To achieve this goal, companies develop and vehicle technologies in motor efficiency, aerodynamics, waste heat recovery, and hybridization, such as to improve. DOE expects that 9.75 increased mpg fuel economy of 6.5 miles per gallon (mpg).

Also production efficiency has the Volvo Group as part of the DOE plants better program that embraces better building, pledge reduce the energy intensity of their production facilities with support and guidance from DOE. River Valley at the plant of the company in Dublin, Virginia has implemented a number of measures it, which in turn reduces energy intensity in one year by almost 30%. See the DOE press release and a DOE brochure on the Volvo Group success.

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