Source: California Energy Commission; Alternative Fuel Data Center, U.S. Department of Energy.
Note: Vehicle registration as of end of 2022 and charging station data as of July 03, 2023.
Analysis by Beacon Economics
Highlights
- Statewide, public charging infrastructure has been gradually expanding. Long-range ZEVs have become more common, while the Level 2 charging stations which deliver more power to long-range ZEVs have grown more slowly than Level 1 charging stations in 2022. In 2022, the total number of charging stations increased by 4.2 percent from last year. Among the three types of charging stations, DC fast charging (DCFC) stations had the most significant increase—growing by 18.5 percent from 2021. Level 1 and Level 2 charging stations also grew by 1.1 and 0.6 percent from 2021, respectively. Increasing the availability of DC fast chargers, which charge EV batteries more quickly than Level 1 or Level 2, is necessary as more EVs are used for both routine and long-distance trips.
- Since ZEV penetration is lower in more rural and less-populous metro areas, these areas also tend have a greater number of charging stations per electric vehicle. Similar to 2021, the non-MSA parts of the state (the rural parts of the state that don’t belong to an MSA) had the second-highest number of non-DC public charging station per EV (6.4)—behind only Napa (8.0). However, due to a higher growth of total EV registrations (+31.8%) than charging stations (+4.2%) in 2022, the number of non-DC public charging stations per EV decreased by 4.8 percent from the previous year. More importantly, public charging stations (including Level 1, Level 2 and DC fast charging) per EV in 2022 have decreased by 18.8 percent across California, specifically, Stockton-Lodi MSA has the smallest decrease with a -5.2 percent change from 2021 to 2022. Yuba City MSA has the fastest decrease, showing a substantial -33.3 percent change. Chico, Redding, and Vallejo-Fairfield also experienced notable decreases, with -31.4 percent, 34.1 percent, and -15.5 percent respectively.
- Of the roughly 30 million automobiles and 6 million trucks registered in California, about 1,085,119 are ZEVs, according to the CEC data (including about 744,809 full EVs, nearly 328,281 plug-in hybrids and about 8,000 fuel-cell vehicles). Electric vehicle infrastructure implementation is growing at a slower pace compared to recent rates of EV adoption. Current funding plans from the CEC and utilities are expected to add another 117,000 Level 2 chargers and 4,300 DC fast chargers by 2025.99
99 California Energy Commission (CEC). $30 Million in Incentives Now Available for Shovel-Ready EV Charging Projects Across California. February 13,2023. Available at: https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2023-02/30-million-incentives-now-available-shovel-ready-ev-charging-projects-across
Opportunities
- President Biden announced a $900 billion plan to build 100 million EV charging stations in 35 states, covering 53,000 miles of national highway.100 Thanks to the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program in the IIJA, a total of $5 billion in funding is going to help develop and construct a national network of 500,000 EV charging stations by 2030. 108 Forum Mobility, a zero-emission trucking solutions provider announced a $400 million plan to deploy over 1,000 DC fast chargers at the San Pedro and Oakland ports over the next decade, and is expected to create over 600 new union jobs in disadvantaged communities.101 In addition, the California Energy Commission (CEC) approved an unprecedented $2.9 billion investment plan that accelerates California’s 2025 electric vehicle (EV) charging and hydrogen refueling goals. The plan will result in approximately 90,000 new EV chargers across the state—more than double the 80,000 chargers installed today. Combined with funding from utilities and other programs, these investments are expected to ensure the state achieves its goal to deploy 250,000 chargers by 2025.102 Moreover, the CEC has launched a $30 million incentive project called the Golden State Priority project to bring fast EV charging stations to 30 counties in Eastern California, the Central Valley and the Central Coast.103
- Several automakers, including Ford, GM, and Mercedes Benz, recently announced that owners of their EVs will have access to Tesla’s network of 12,000 Superchargers beginning in 2024, which will provide drivers with more access to DCFC charging stations.104 Seven automakers also announced that they plan to spend at least $1 billion building out EV charging infrastructure that is available to all EVs.105 California's Powering Up Californians Act, signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom, aims to address barriers to timely energization, crucial for achieving climate, air quality, and equity goals. The law sets policies for upgrading the grid to meet decarbonization goals, establishes energization timelines, mandates workforce training, and ensures utility investments align with decarbonization standards.106
100 The White House. FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Standards and Major Progress for a Made-in-America National Network of Electric Vehicle Chargers. February 15, 2023. Available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/02/15/
101 CRBE. Forum Mobility and CBRE Investment Management Announce $400 Million Joint Venture and $15 Million Series A Targeting Equitable Electrification of Heavy-Duty Port Transit. January 17, 2023. Assessed July 18, 2023. https://www.cbreim.com/press-releases/forum-mobility-cbreim-announce-400m-jv-targeting-equitable-heavy-duty-port-transit-electrification
102 California Energy Commission. CEC Approves $2.9 Billion Investment for Zero-Emission Transportation Infrastructure. December 14, 2022. Assessed July 06, 2023. Available at: https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2022-12/cec-approves-29-billion-investment-zero-emission-transportation-infrastructure
103 California Energy Commission. $30 Million in Incentives Now Available for Shovel-Ready EV Charging Projects Across California. February 13, 2023. Assessed July 06, 2023. Available at: https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2023-02/30-million-incentives-now-available-shovel-ready-ev-charging-projects-across
104 CNN. In big win for Tesla, more car companies plan to use its supercharging network. July 7, 2023. Assessed July 20, 2023. Available at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/electric-vehicle-charging-network-tesla-mercedes-benz/
105 “Big Automakers Plan Thousands of EV Chargers in $1 Billion U.S. Push.” Wall Street Journal. July 26, 2023. Available at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/big-automakers-plan-thousands-of-ev-chargers-in-1-billion-u-s-push-af748d19
106 NRDC. Powering Up Californians Act Is Signed into Law. October 12, 2023. Available at: https://www.nrdc.org/bio/max-baumhefner/powering-californians-act-signed-law
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