Electric

In the Bay Area, the transportation sector accounts for more than 50 percent of air pollution, and more than 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Significant emission reductions from the transportation sector will be the key to clearing the air in the Bay Area and helping the region attain state and federal air quality standards.

Recent technological advances in electric vehicle, or EV, technology for zero- and partial zero-emission vehicles are a promising solution to meeting local, state and federal air pollution standards and greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.

Providing funding to reduce the cost of clean EV technology for Bay Area residents and commercial fleets can eliminate both real and perceived barriers to widespread EV adoption in the Bay Area — by easing concerns regarding vehicle range and public charging accessibility and removing barriers to rapid and convenient installation of home chargers.

In 2009, the Air District awarded $1.3 million towards electric vehicle infrastructure. This funding will help to establish over 400 new publicly available charging spots distributed among 70 Bay Area locations.

In August 2010, the District’s Board of Directors committed an additional $5 million over the next two years to support the deployment of publicly available EV charging infrastructure for the Bay Area. This funding will help to fund charging installations in homes, as well as fast chargers along Bay Area priority transportation corridors and additional chargers in strategically located, publicly accessible parking areas.

The Home Charger Rebate Program is scheduled to begin in mid-2011, the fast charging installations should begin in late-2011, and additional, strategically located public charging stations will become available by 2012.