San Diego Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer joined together with City Councilmember Lorie Zapf and environmental leaders on Wednesday to announce that San Diego has more than doubled the size of its electric vehicle (EV) charging station program in an effort to meet the ambitious goals of the city’s landmark Climate Action Plan.
“We hope that by locating charging stations in popular destinations, it’s easier and more convenient to use electric vehicles, as well as encourage more people to purchase electric vehicles,” says Faulconer. “You can enjoy staying at a park, beach or library a little longer knowing you can charge your car there.”
By increasing the number of EV ports from 32 to 68, the city now has charging stations at 15 different locations citywide. With the new installations, San Diego takes another step toward slashing greenhouse-gas emissions in half by 2035 – a key goal of the Climate Action Plan.
As reported, the stations were funded through a $500,000 grant from the California Energy Commission. The city’s Economic Development Department secured the grant with partners Center for Sustainable Energy, San Diego Gas & Electric and OpConnect, a charging station operator and manufacturer.
“By boosting our electric vehicle infrastructure, we’re creating sustainable communities that are cleaner and greener for future generations,” adds Zapf.
Adopted in December 2015, the Climate Action Plan is a package of policies created to benefit San Diego’s environment and economy. It helps create new jobs in the renewable energy industry, improve public health and air quality, use resources more efficiently, increase clean energy production, and improve quality of life. The plan lays out steps to achieve the goal of cutting greenhouse gases in half by 2035, including shifting a majority of the city’s fleet to electric.
In addition to being good for the environment, the city’s charging station infrastructure is easy to operate and affordable. At a rate of $1.75-$1.80 per hour, vehicles can be charged using all major credit cards.
Jacques Chirazi, business development manager for San Diego’s Economic Development Department, says the increasing number of easy-to-use stations at popular city landmarks will likely increase usage among residents and visitors.
“San Diego continues to provide more opportunities for San Diegans to do their part to reduce pollution and protect the environment,” Chirazi says. “With these new stations, we’re making it easier than ever for San Diegans to use electric vehicles and reduce pollution to the benefit of everyone.”
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