Equity is goal in electric vehicle rule in California
State aims to phase out sale of gas cars by 2035
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Discounted prices, car-share programs and at least 1 million more public charging stations are among the ways California will try to make electric cars easier to buy and drive as it phases out the sale of gas-powered cars.
But the state won’t force automakers to participate in any equity programs designed to ensure people of all income levels can buy electric cars.
“This rule had the opportunity to really set the path for lower income households to have increased access and affordability (for) electric vehicles, but it missed the mark,” said Roman Partida-lopez, legal counsel for transportation equity with The Greenlining Institute.
Instead, car companies will get extra credit toward their sales quotas if they make cars available to car share or other programs aimed at disadvantaged Californians. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has pledged $10 billion over six years for incentives to get electric vehicles into the hands of low-income residents, charging infrastructure, and other efforts to put cleaner cars and trucks on the road.
The Stockton Mobility Collective is one example. Designed to increase transportation options in disadvantaged parts of the city, the collective will set up five to seven neighborhood charging stations with 30 electric cars people can rent out on an hourly or daily basis. The first cars and charging stations launched last week in an
apartment complex. The program got $7.4 million from the state.
Car ownership in South Stockton is low, so interest in the program is high, said Christine Corrales, senior regional planner for the program. But it’s just the first step in what must be a major effort to make electric vehicles a realistic option for lower-income Californians.
“If the infrastructure is not available locally, it may be challenging to encourage people to adopt and switch over,” she said. “That’s something that we’re trying to be proactive about.”
The regulations passed by the California Air Resources Board last week say that by 2035 the state will require automakers to sell only cars that run on electricity or hydrogen, though some can be plug-in hybrids that use gas and batteries. People will still be able to buy used cars that run on gas, and car companies
will still sell some plug-in hybrids. Beyond questions of affordability and access, the state will need to overcome skepticism of people who think electric cars simply aren’t for them.
“We’ve got to get past the elitism that’s involved with owning an electric car,” said Daniel Myatt, who brought an electric car in 2020 through the state’s Clean Cars 4 All program, which he qualified for when he was out of work due to an illness.
Since 2015, more than 13,000 electric cars have been purchased through the program. It offers up to $9,500 for people to trade in their gas cars for electric or hybrid models.
Southern California Even Access is using a $2.5 million state grant to install at least 120 chargers across a 12-county region, at apartment complexes and public places like library parking lots.