San Francisco Chronicle

PG&E will discuss benefits of electric vehicles at show

-

Did you know that Pacific Gas and Electric’s special EV rate plans allow you to drive at the equivalent of $1 per gallon, or that PG&E customers charge their EVs on one of the nation’s greenest power supplies, with over 50 percent coming from carbon-free sources?

Did you know that California offers Clean Vehicle Rebates of up to $5,000 on EV purchases? Learn more at the PG&E exhibit at the auto show.

PG&E’s 4,200-square-foot exhibit and vehicle display, titled “PG&E: Your Partner for Electric Car Ownership,” will have an interactiv­e kiosk addressing special utility rates, the EVs on the market, purchase rebates and more. See and touch examples of PG&E’s electric and hybrid fleet cars and heavy-duty service trucks. Also, be sure to bring the kids by for a PG&E hard hat while supplies last.

PG&E truly is Your Partner for Electric Car Ownership. Whether you already drive an electric vehicle or are just thinking about buying one, you'll find informatio­n and resources that will help you make decisions, save money and simplify your life.

CHECKLIST FOR PROSPECTIV­E BUYERS

Find rebates and tax credits, select a rate plan and find out what you should do before purchasing an electric vehicle.

Explore the fundamenta­ls: Learn about the basics, including types of electric vehicles and environmen­tal

and financial benefits.

Make sense of the rates: PG&E has several rate plans for charging electric vehicles at home. Find out which one makes sense for you.

Charging options: As a PG&E customer, you have several options for charging your electric vehicle at home plus access to public charge stations around the state.

Charger installati­on: Can you plug in and charge, or do you need to upgrade your electrical panel or install a new service? Find out the steps required before installing a charging station.

Visit the PG&E booth at the auto show where representa­tives from PG&E and the Center for Sustainabl­e Energy (CSE) will be on hand to answer your questions about EV ownership, including how to qualify for federal and state rebates toward the purchase of an EV.

PG&E and CSE will also host a free EV test drive event at the auto show on Monday, Nov. 23 and Tuesday, Nov. 24. Please visit the CSE events page for more informatio­n.

On display in the PG&E booth will be the utility industry’s first plug-in electric hybrid class 5 bucket truck, developed by PG&E in partnershi­p with Dixon, California-based Efficient Drivetrain­s Incorporat­ed.

The truck features 120kW of exportable power capacity, enough to keep the lights on in up to 100 homes during planned or unplanned outages, and up to 40 miles all-electric driving range before switching to extendedra­nge gas-hybrid mode.

“PG&E believes that EVs are both the present and the future of the transporta­tion sector, and we are committed to providing customers solutions that allow them to adopt EVs as well as integratin­g them into our utility fleet,” said Dave Meisel, senior director of transporta­tion and aviation services for PG&E.

PG&E operates approximat­ely 1,400 plug-in electric and electric hybrid vehicles, one of the largest fleets of plug-ins in the nation. In October, PG&E announced that it plans to commit $100 million toward the purchase of electric and hybrid-electric vehicles for its work fleet during the next five years, adding more than 750 plug-in electric units.

This will include bucket trucks, emergency vehicles that can provide power during emergencie­s and other vehicles the company uses in its operations.

 ?? PHOTO COURTESY OF PG&E ?? An exportable power truck charges next to a BMW i3. Pacific Gas and Electric’s booth at the auto show will have the truck, which is the industry’s first plug-in electric hybrid class 5 bucket truck.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PG&E An exportable power truck charges next to a BMW i3. Pacific Gas and Electric’s booth at the auto show will have the truck, which is the industry’s first plug-in electric hybrid class 5 bucket truck.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States