The San Francisco Bay Area has launched a new Electric Vehicle Strategic Council with an additional $5million in funding.
The council will be led by the region’s mayors, regional officials and clean tech industry executives. Its aim is to make the San Francisco Bay Area the electric vehicle capital of the USA by developing the charging infrastructure needed for the influx of electric vehicles.
It will involve a package of grants and initiatives, including:
- A total of $4million to install more than 300 new public electric vehicle chargers, including 19 Fast Chargers that can recharge a Nissan LEAF in just 20minutes. $1.5million will come from the California Energy Commission; while $2.5million will be sourced from local public and private funds.
- Around $700,000 will come from the US Department of Energy, the California Energy Commission and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to complete electric vehicle strategic plans across 12 counties.
- A grant of $625,000 will go towards the publication of Ready, Set, Charge, California! A Guide to EV-Ready Communities aimed at helping cities to become electric car ready.
- The Bay Area Air Quality Management District will administer a $546,097 settlement funding grant towards the purchase of 10 new plug-in Toyota Prius vehicles and for an out-reach campaign to the members of City CarShare programme.
