VW blasts ex-chief for his ‘untrue’ remarks,
Carmaker forced to allocate funds toward the development of electric vehicle infrastructure
An organization set up as part of the Volkswagen diesel emissions settlement said Tuesday it is accepting proposals for $2 billion it must spend in the United States on zero-emissions vehicle infrastructure and education.
About $800 million of that total is to be targeted in California, “one of the world’s largest ZEV markets,” but $1.2 billion will fund separate programs across the country, according to a statement from the group, Electrify America.
Volkswagen was forced to allocate the money toward the development of electric vehicle infrastructure as part of a federal civil settlement and agreements with U.S. and California regulators involving nearly 500,000 cars.
The zero-emissions projects will be overseen by Reston, Va.based Electrify America. The company is a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group of America but will operate separately from the company’s automobile brands.
“The investments, which will be made over a period of 10 years, will be directed towards the development, construction and maintenance of ZEV infrastructure, including charging stations that will service current and future models of electric vehicles,” the group said. “The organization also will build brand-neutral awareness of ZEVs through education and outreach to promote their increased adoption in the United States.”
The plans include installing more than 300 vehicle chargers in 15 metro areas.
The group also plans to launch a testing program in a California municipality “to pilot future concepts of sustainable mobility, such as a ZEV-based shuttle service, an EV-based car-sharing program or a ZEV transit application.”