Sunita Somvanshi
California has hit a major milestone in its switch to cleaner transportation with over 201,180 public and shared electric vehicle (EV) charging ports now available across the state. This new total marks a jump of 22,631 chargers since March 2025 and means California now has 68% more EV charging ports than gas pump nozzles.
The charging network isn’t just growing – it’s becoming more accessible too. About 94% of Californians now live within a 10-minute drive of an EV charger. These public chargers can be found at everyday locations like grocery stores, parking lots, and even traditional gas stations. Shared chargers are available at apartment buildings, workplaces, and sports facilities, though they may have some usage restrictions. Beyond the public network, California homes have approximately 800,000 private chargers installed in single-family residences, creating a robust charging ecosystem for EV owners.
“EV chargers are becoming ubiquitous in California,” said California Energy Commission (CEC) Commissioner Nancy Skinner. “Our goal is to make driving an EV a no-brainer choice for Californians. They are fun to drive, never need an oil change, don’t cause smog, and it’s getting easier to charge your vehicle with public EV infrastructure.”
The state is seeing different growth rates by charger type. Level 2 chargers have increased by 25% since the last count. DC fast charging ports have grown by 14%. California is also addressing the needs of commercial vehicles. The state now has 20,093 charging and hydrogen fueling points for medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles, up 23% since February. This focus is important because while trucks make up just 6% of vehicles on California’s roads, they contribute over 35% of the state’s transportation emissions and a quarter of its on-road greenhouse gases.
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Despite this progress, California faces changing federal support. Federal zero-emission vehicle incentives are set to end on September 30. Until then, tax credits of up to $7,500 remain available for purchases or leases of eligible new EVs and hydrogen vehicles, and up to $4,000 for eligible used ones. Federal incentives for at-home charging and associated battery storage are also available, up to $1,000. To continue momentum, California agencies are working on multiple fronts to speed up charger deployment:
- Providing grants for public, workplace and at-home charging installations
- Prioritizing fast-charging projects that are ready to build
- Developing a comprehensive ZEV Infrastructure Plan
- Creating charger reliability standards to improve user experience
The state is also addressing challenges with the electrical grid. Research from UC Davis Energy and Efficiency Institute estimates that 67% of circuits will need capacity increases by 2045, requiring about 25 gigawatts of upgrades at a cost of $6-$20 billion.
California’s clean transportation push is part of its broader climate efforts. Since 2000, greenhouse gas emissions in the state have dropped by 20%, while its GDP has grown by 78%. The state was powered by two-thirds clean energy in 2023 and has run on 100% clean electricity for some part of the day almost every day this year.
With ZEV sales now representing about one in four new vehicles in California and the state having surpassed 2 million cumulative zero-emission vehicles, the charging infrastructure appears to be keeping pace with adoption trends.
