Sawtelle-based EVgo Inc., which owns and operates the nation’s largest public fast-charging network for electric vehicles, announced on June 22 that it was selected for proposed awards for two new state grants totaling $3.6 million to deploy charging stations near multifamily properties for electric vehicles.
The grants are set to be awarded by the California Energy Commission through a special program aimed to boost electric vehicle charging access for multifamily dwellers.
Overall, about 1 in 6 Californians live in apartments, according to figures cited in 2020 by California Building News.
In L.A. County, that number rises to nearly 1 in 3, or more than 3 million people.
Unlike single-family homeowners, who can decide on their own to install electric vehicle chargers on their property, apartment dwellers – particularly in older buildings – are subject to the willingness of landlords to install charge stations and are therefore less likely to have easy access to one.
The California Energy Commission grants are designed to address this problem.
The program’s aim is to demonstrate business and technology models for large-scale deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure capable of maximizing access and EV travel for multi-family-housing residents, according to the announcement.
Projects under the grant must include charger installations that will benefit and be used by multifamily residents within disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, or a combination of both.
The charging stations do not have to be inside the apartment complexes, but must be in close proximity.
