California has reached a significant milestone in electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, with a total of 178,549 public and shared private EV chargers installed across the state. This figure surpasses the California Energy Commission’s estimate of 120,000 gasoline nozzles, indicating that California now has 48% more EV chargers than gas pumps. Among the installed chargers, 162,178 are Level 2 chargers, while 16,971 are fast chargers. The commission also estimates that over 700,000 Level 2 chargers are located in single-family homes throughout the state.
The California Energy Commission is committed to enhancing the EV driver experience and has made substantial investments in EV infrastructure, amounting to $1.4 billion. This funding aims to expand the most extensive charging and hydrogen network in the country. Projects funded by this investment include the Fast Charge California Project, which will allocate $55 million for the installation of fast-charging stations at various locations.
In addition to infrastructure improvements, the state is offering grants and rebates to assist low-income residents in accessing EV technology. The commission is also focused on gathering better data to identify areas with the greatest need for chargers and to monitor progress toward its EV charger goals. In 2024, 73,537 chargers were added to the data set, with 37,983 being newly installed that year.
Efforts to streamline charger deployment include prioritizing shovel-ready projects, developing a comprehensive infrastructure strategy, and establishing reliability standards for chargers. Collaboration with private sector partners is also ongoing to facilitate the expansion of EV charging infrastructure. The market for zero-emission vehicles remains robust, with one in four Californians choosing these models over traditional gasoline-powered cars for the past two years, and California accounting for 30% of new zero-emission vehicle sales in the U.S.
