Toyota Motor North America Inc., guided by its “Empact” vision to address equitable electric vehicle charging and mobility, has selected the first communities that will receive DC fast chargers (DCFCs): Baldwin Park and Sacramento, California. High-power 350-kW chargers at each location will be installed, owned and operated by EVgo, one of the nation’s largest public fast-charging networks, and feature simultaneous charging. The California sites are targeted to be operational in 2025.
“Providing ‘Mobility for All’ is our north star as we look to support and facilitate equitable EV charging opportunities for all customers,” says Christopher Yang, group vice president, Business Development, Toyota Motor North America. “We want to help ensure these underserved communities are not overlooked in the EV transition, and providing support for these charging facilities helps provide access to those who may not have easy access to home or public charging options.”
Launched in 2021, Toyota’s Clean Assist program matches residential customer charging with renewable electricity, thereby helping to reduce emissions generated from charging. In California, this produces revenue from the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), based on battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) charging at home. That revenue has been reinvested into transportation electrification in the state, including these chargers.
“Expanding access to public charging infrastructure is critical to our mission of accelerating the mass adoption of EVs,” says Dennis Kish, president of EVgo. “We are proud to partner with Toyota to build new fast-charging resources that will support the equitable distribution of charging infrastructure in the Golden State.”
The cities receiving DC fast chargers were chosen using the CalEnviroScreen tool and based on criteria such as resident income levels, demographics, air quality levels and areas that have or are expected to have meaningful EV penetration. Baldwin Park and Sacramento are both areas that are poised to see rapid EV growth in the future.
For example, in Sacramento, the new 350-kW DC fast chargers will be installed near the Arden Fair Mall, a high-traffic area close to the freeway with multiple options for dining, shopping and other activities.
The Baldwin Park charging station will also be centrally located less than a mile off Interstate 10, with access to amenities including a grocery store onsite and many nearby restaurants.