California has reached a significant milestone in its electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure development, with the Governor’s office highlighting that the state now has one charging station for every five gas stations. The state leads the country in EV charging infrastructure and adoption of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), with the release noting that if California were a country, it would rank fourth in worldwide EV sales. The Governor’s office also mentioned that California has achieved a total of 1.8 million zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) sales to date and highlighted the approval of a $1.9 billion plan to install up to 40,000 new public EV chargers.
Additionally, a video teaser posted by Newsom emphasized Tesla’s opening of the Supercharger network to non-Tesla vehicles, adding thousands of fast chargers to California’s EV charging network, bringing the total to over 105,000 public EV chargers, including 10,000 fast chargers. This announcement coincides with Tesla’s move to open its Supercharger network to other EV brands, starting with Ford and Rivian. Other EV brands, such as General Motors (GM), Volvo, and the Volvo-Geely-owned subsidiary Polestar, are expected to gain access to the charging network soon.
The development signifies a significant advancement in EV infrastructure and accessibility in California. Overall, the progress in EV infrastructure and the expansion of the charging network to include multiple EV brands in California marks a positive step towards promoting widespread adoption of electric vehicles and reducing reliance on traditional gas-powered vehicles.