Numbers grow for electric-vehicle charging stations in Ventura County

A $4.8 million project to install hundreds of electric vehicle charging stations in parking lots across Ventura County is nearly halfway there.

The Clean Power Alliance and its partners will celebrate what they call the largest investment in electric charging infrastructure in the county's history with a news conference Friday morning at the charging stations at Arroyo Vista Community Park in Moorpark.

The project is funded by the Clean Power Alliance, which provides renewable electricity to Ventura County customers; the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project, a California Energy Commission effort to finance charging stations; and the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District. The funding covers the cost of 405 Level 2 chargers and 38 fast chargers, said alliance CEO Ted Bardacke.

More than a thousand publicly available charging stations or chargers are installed today in Ventura County, he said. The project funded by the alliance and its partners will increase the number of the county's chargers to around 1,500, with charging stations at places such as government sites, retail complexes, parks and apartment buildings.

Bardacke said a Level 2 charger provides 25 miles of driving after one hour’s worth of charging. They are "for around town and for a general daily commute," he said.

“Fast chargers are much more heavy duty and expensive and can give you about 200 miles of range after a half-hour to 45 minutes of charging,” he said.

The first charging station was installed in July 2022 at a low-income apartment building in Thousand Oaks. The most recent installation was last month at Camarillo City Hall, and the project is expected to be completed in 2025, Bardacke said.

So far, 146 Level 2 chargers and 30 fast chargers have been installed, marking about 40% of completion, he said.

“There’s strong consumer demand,” Bardacke said about electric vehicles. “We’re going to keep that momentum going. We need people not just to be able to charge, but to see that they’re able to charge.”

Seeing charging stations can lead people to buy electric vehicles, which is better for the environment, he said.

Bardacke said annual emissions of greenhouse gas from a gasoline-powered car is about 12,000 pounds a year compared to about 2,000 pounds for an electric vehicle.

He also noted people can drive electric vehicles at a cost that’s the equivalent of $2.50 for a gallon of gasoline. Gas prices on Wednesday averaged $5.69 a gallon in Ventura County, according to the AAA.

Bardacke said electric vehicles qualify for a state cash rebate and a $7,500 federal tax credit.

“The majority of electric vehicles are more expensive than the average vehicle, but the prices are coming down,” said Bardacke, who drives a Chevy Bolt electric car. “You can get a fully electric vehicle for $35,000 to $40,000.”

He said the used market for electric cars will help make them more affordable.

Bardacke said owners of hybrids, who have seen savings in their gasoline consumption, can get the additional joy of driving with ease if they make the switch to a fully electric vehicle.

“The acceleration is instantaneous. They’re very responsive. They’re quiet,” he said.

California is requiring that all new cars sold in 2035 and beyond have zero emissions.

Dave Mason covers East County for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at dave.mason@vcstar.com or 805-437-0232.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: More EV charging stations coming to Ventura County, California