The New Mitsubishi "i" Car

Trouncing the competition when it comes to green living, San Francisco has received an additional $3.9 million to expand the number of electric car chargers in the city. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District approved the amount to be distributed as a rebate for residents who buy new electric cars, and the district is estimating that this move could fund up to 2,750 home chargers!

The program is being paid for by a clean air vehicle program fund that collected money through California vehicle license fees. Three hundred public chargers will be added to the 400 chargers the district approved last year, and of the 300 chargers, 36 will be “fast charging” stations for drivers who need a quick boost to their cars.

“The electric vehicle’s time has come and its effectiveness as a means of improving air quality depends on a robust charging infrastructure,” Jack Broadbent, the district’s executive officer, said in a news release.

The home chargers will be installed within the next two or three months, while most of the public charging stations should be completed by the end of this year. A chunk of the funding was handed out to ECOtatility, who will lead the project. Last week ECOtatility tied up with Cisco technology so customers can control their electric car charging through their computers.

These Smart Meters will allow customers to control the times when their cars are being charged. Utility companies are hoping to get drivers to do most of their charging at night, when the load on the grid is at its lowest.

WHY THIS MATTERS:

While most people will charge their cars at home, a robust public charging infrastructure will help make electric vehicles mainstream.

FROM ABC:

Air quality regulators on Wednesday approved another $3.9 million to expand the number of in-home and roadside electric vehicle charging stations in the San Francisco Bay area.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District said money will be distributed in the form of a rebate to residents who buy a new electric vehicle. Some 2,750 new in-home charging stations will be funded.

The money was collected from California vehicle license fees and set aside to fund clean air vehicle programs. The money will also add 30 roadside stations to the more than 400 approved by the district last year.

Thirty-six of these roadside stations will be “fast charging” stations, where drivers can get a quicker charge.

“The electric vehicle’s time has come and its effectiveness as a means of improving air quality depends on a robust charging infrastructure,” Jack Broadbent, the district’s executive officer, said in a news release.

The in-home stations are expected to be ready for installation over the next two or three months, as more people buy the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt. The additional roadside stations should be finished by year’s end.

District officials say the network of accessible charging sites will allow electric vehicle owners to easily recharge as they go about their daily errands and commutes.

The company receiving most of the funding, ECOtality, will lead the other companies helping install the charging stations throughout the area.

Jonathan Read, the company’s CEO, said the San Francisco Bay area is moving quickly to create the infrastructure needed to support a large fleet of electric cars.