US utility Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is planning to build 25,000 electric vehicle chargers at sites across its service area in Northern and Central California.
The company said it is seeking approval from state regulators for the plan, which If approved, would be the largest deployment of EV charging stations in the country. The chargers would be located at commercial and public locations, including multi-family dwellings, retail centers, and workplaces.
“Our proposed build-out of EV charging infrastructure aims to accelerate customer adoption of clean, quiet, and efficient plug-in vehicles by reducing lingering range anxiety,” said Tony Earley, Chairman, President, and CEO of PG&E Corp. “It reflects our commitment to helping the state of California meet its critical clean air and greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals by promoting cleaner transportation.”
More than 60,000 plug-in electric vehicles are currently registered in PG&E’s service area, which represents more than a fifth of all EVs in the US. California has called for 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles by 2025 to help meet the state’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.
All of the 25,000 stations PG&E proposes to build would have Level 2 chargers, which provide up to 25 miles of range for every hour of charging. To support travel between metropolitan areas, PG&E would also install at key locations 100 DC fast chargers, which can recharge an EV’s battery in only 30 minutes. A growing number of DC fast charging stations are being deployed along the “West Coast Electric Highway,” which serves drivers from British Columbia to Baja California.
The chargers would be provided at no cost to the site host. PG&E proposes to own all of the infrastructure, but contract with third parties to build, install and maintain the chargers and manage customer billing. The utility expects that the program will take about five years to complete following approval by the California Public Utilities Commission.
The cost of PG&E’s plan, if approved, would be shared by all electric customers as a contribution to helping the state meet its clean air and climate goals.