Funds Increase Electric Vehicle Charging Accessibility for Underserved Communities
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – The California Energy Commission (CEC) announced Thursday that EVmatch, an electric vehicle sharing software and technology provider, will receive a grant of $728,250 to deploy electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at multi-unit dwellings targeted at underserved communities across California. The BESTFIT Innovative Charging Solutions, part of the CEC’s Clean Transportation Program, funds technologies that demonstrate transformative energy solutions leading to the successful deployment of EV charging capacity.
In addition to constructing new charging stations in underserved communities, EVmatch will also provide their proprietary national online social platform to connect available charging station hosts with EV owners, a service needed in the industry. Anyone in the U.S. can download their free app and start accessing charging stations.
EVmatch plans to use the funds to construct 120 publicly available Level 2 EV charging stations – currently the most affordable charging option available – with their unique sharing software at apartment buildings throughout Santa Clara, Los Angeles, and San Diego counties. The grant allows EVmatch to address the increasing demand for charging stations for residents at apartment buildings, plus provide sharing capabilities for their surrounding communities.
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“When we first conceived of EVmatch, most Americans felt that an electric vehicle lifestyle was not accessible or affordable — and we wanted to change that,” said Heather Hochrein, Founder and CEO of EVmatch. “This grant provides an easy charging option for apartment dwellers and their neighbors who may not have convenient chargers accessible otherwise, easing the ‘range anxiety’ that so often prevents people from buying and driving EVs.”
As one of the only female founded companies in the EV charging industry, CEC’s selection of Hochrein’s company over much larger competitors signals a multi-layered strategy for the state’s primary energy policy makers to address inequities in the green energy transition.
The installation of the Enel X Level 2 stations will take place over the next 27 months, creating clean energy and auto infrastructure jobs in line with President Biden’s Build Back Better Plan, and EVmatch is working to develop plans with trusted local entities including Silicon Valley Clean Energy (another project funder), SDG&E, Coronado, and the Southern California Public Power Authority to broadcast the newly available stations. Electrical contracting industry leaders ABM and Suacci Solar will provide critical support with the planning and installation process.
EVmatch hopes that this ambitious project demonstrates how the company’s unique software system and public sharing capabilities are an effective, low-cost solution for apartment dwellers and the general public alike, building further trust with state and local stakeholders and ultimately expanding upon these efforts in the near future.
