The future of our transportation is 100% electric. And in the United States, California is the leader of the pack. The Governor of California is keen to be a driving force in not just the U.S., but also the global transition to clean transportation. One of his aims: growing the number of EVs in his own state, especially among lower-income demographics. Here are some of the ways the Golden State is smashing its EV goals.

• Electric vehicle sales

A whopping 39% of all EV sales in the U.S. are taking place in California, making it the most electrified state in the country. In new data published by veloz.org, Californians have bought 1,21 million EVs since it began tracking sales in 2011. In quarter 2 of 2022 alone, over 79,000 EVs were purchased, showing a continuing surge in demand.

• Charging infrastructure

To charge all those electric cars that fill California’s roads, the state has just under 80,000 charging units available, both public and privately owned (e.g., in driveways). To cater to the many residents living in apartments and condos, they’re investing in a widespread and reliable public charging network, as well as exploring options to include EV charging stations in new and existing buildings.

• School buses

With support from the Senate, California is replacing its oldest, most polluting (diesel) school buses with brand new battery electric buses. The California Energy Commission (CEC) School Buses Program, as it’s called, is also making sure there are enough charging points dotted around the state, to charge the buses. Simultaneously, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is boosting electrification of the school bus fleet too.

• Customer incentives

California has a wide range of incentives and rebates available to its climate conscious residents. They include rebates when buying a new or used clean car, low interest loans when buying an EV, cashback when installing a charging unit, and a bonus for ‘retiring’ your old, greenhouse gas emitting car. Once your EV is on the road, you can enjoy toll discounts and High Occupancy Vehicle lane exemptions, making electric driving even more fun.

• In-state EV manufacturing

By stimulating the demand for EVs, encouraging innovation, and supporting startups in the EV field, California has managed to make EVs their biggest export product, creating many jobs in the process. Who said fighting climate change couldn’t be a good thing? Big players in EV manufacturing based in California are for instance Proterra (electric buses), Karma Automotive (luxury EVs) and HPEVS (electric motor drive systems). EVCharge 4 U is one of the premier companies providing advice on and installation of commercial and residential car charging units. Want a free consultation? Allow us to share our knowledge with you.