Everything You Need to Know About the CaleVIP Inland Counties Incentive Program
With California Governor Gavin Newsom’s move to ban new gas-powered vehicles by 2035, the state faces a growing need for more widespread electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Drivers in smaller cities, suburbs and rural areas will need access to EV chargers. Lower-income areas and inland counties may be especially lacking public charging stations and commercial charging stations at multifamily units, workplaces and public parking lots.
The new California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project, or CaleVIP, is expanding its program by dedicating $17.5 million to rural communities and smaller cities, with two-thirds of those funds going to under-resourced communities in the inland counties. The portal to apply opened May 18, 2021, with funding available on a first-come, first-served basis until it runs out.
Where Is CaleVIP Offering Incentives?
The new CaleVIP Inland Counties Incentive Program offers rebates to California business owners, property managers, landlords and government entities for installing EV chargers in 13 inland counties. It may also provide free technical assistance and additional incentives for small-business owners and multifamily property investors with a desire to install chargers in disadvantaged and lower-income communities across those counties.
Funds will be available for business owners and investors in the following counties:
Placer
Solano
Stanislaus
Sutter
Tulare
Yolo
Butte
El Dorado
Imperial
Kings
Merced
Napa
Nevada
These Central Valley communities join 10 other regions currently benefiting from CaleVIP initiatives administered through the Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE).
The Importance of EV Charging Capabilities in Underserved Communities
Most programs currently part of CaleVIP focus on major cities, but research has shown that rural communities, along with Black and Hispanic communities, lack EV charging capabilities. If California is to meet its zero-emissions goal, it must encourage more widespread adoption of EVs.
“To achieve California’s ambitious EV adoption goals, we must incentivize and install charging stations in all areas of the state,” said Andy Hoskinson, the CSE’s senior manager for EV infrastructure, in a press release. “CALeVIP’s expansion of public charging makes sure our rural communities, which often have limited funding, are not left behind. Having these charging locations will help the areas increase consumer adoption of electric vehicles and reduce transportation emissions.”
Currently, lower-income drivers face three barriers to EV ownership:
The up-front cost of the vehicles
The travel range before charging is needed
Access to EV charging stations
As EVs drop in price and more used EVs become available as drivers turn in their older models, it’s important to address the other two concerns through EV charging installations at apartment complexes and public places, especially in rural areas and smaller cities.
How to Apply for a CaleVIP Rebate
The California Energy Commission and the CSE make it easy for commercial real estate investors and business owners to apply for rebates through the CaleVIP program. California business owners should first find a project for their region on the CaleVIP website. Start an account at calevip.org/user/register. If you are a commercial real estate manager or business owner with multiple properties, you must start a unique account for each application.
You can apply rebates to any costs incurred from March 10, 2021, through 15 months after the rebate funds are reserved, although any costs incurred before your application is approved are at your own risk. Project participants must meet certain milestones through the life of the EV charging installation project, including permit submissions, design and installation.
Although no funding chart was available when the CaleVIP website launched, it should appear in the near future to show remaining, reserved and issued funds. Rebates will not reflect disadvantaged or low-income community status, but they will be adjusted accordingly (and automatically — no applicant action required) if the project qualifies.
CaleVIP specifically notes that applicants cannot use bots or other automated processes to submit applications and cannot use methods to submit applications that could disadvantage other applicants.
How Much Money Can You Receive for Your EV Charging Station Installation?
Applicants can receive up to $7,500 per Level 2 connector and up to $80,000 per direct-current fast charger (DCFC). The base rebate for Level 2 chargers is the lower of $5,000 per connector or 100% of the total project cost. Installations in disadvantaged or low-income communities receive an additional $500 per charger, and installations in multi-dwelling units get an extra $1,000. DCFCs with capabilities from 50 to 99.99 kW receive up to $50,000 per unit or 75% of the project cost, whichever is less, while those with capabilities of 100 kW and up earn $70,000 or 75% of the total project cost. Rebates rise to $60,000 or 75% and $80,000 or 75% in disadvantaged and low-income communities.
Plan Your Level 2 or DCFC Charging Project
As California strives to install 250,000 EV charging stations to support 5 million electric vehicles by 2030, business owners can do their part while receiving generous rebates on a service they can monetize or use to attract tenants to their property.
The CSE and California Energy Commission have outlined specific guidelines for placement of chargers. They must be in public places on eligible sites, which include the following:
Commercial real estate
Workplaces with shared-use parking spaces
Multi-dwelling units with shared-use parking spaces
Curbside
Chargers must be installed in areas that are well lit, secured and in compliance with codes. Level 2 chargers must be publicly available 24 hours a day, 365 days a week, and must not be installed in a gated lot that’s closed to the public after hours. Affordable-housing new-construction sites may qualify for rebates for DCFCs, but not for Level 2 chargers.
Let EV Connect Help You as an Approved Vendor for CaleVIP
There’s a lot to consider if you’re installing EV chargers as part of the CaleVIP Inland Counties Incentive Program. As an approved vendor, EV Connect can help you apply for permits for your site, determine the best placement of your chargers and choose the right equipment to deliver the most value for your money.
California has ambitious goals to put more EVs on the road, and business owners in the inland counties are in a unique position to help encourage the spread of EV adoption across demographics. Our EV charging software and infrastructure, provided through our network of partners, give you the capability to manage your EV charging to benefit your community along with your bottom line. Connect with us to get started today and take advantage of CaleVIP funds for inland counties while they are still available.