ELECTRIC VEHICLES
How to apply for an EV Charger Permit
Public Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
The City of Piedmont’s Climate Action Plan 2.0 provides a roadmap for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the community. A major goal of the plan is to eliminate emissions from the transportation sector, which has consistently comprised nearly half of Piedmont’s total GHG emissions. One strategy to achieve this is by accelerating the adoption of EVs and the growth of EV Charging Stations in Piedmont. The City has an ambitious target of 50% EV ownership by 2030 and 100% EV ownership by 2050. Currently, EVs account for 11% of the vehicles registered in Piedmont.
On October 18, 2021 the City Council approved the installation of four DC fast EV charging stations on Magnolia Avenue near the Exedra. These chargers will be the first public chargers located in Piedmont and are anticipated to be operational by the summer of 2024. In addition to these approved chargers, the City is exploring other locations for installing public EV charging stations.
What is Piedmont doing to support drivers?
The City of Piedmont wants to support you in your effort to buy, lease, and drive electric vehicles. Our on-line building permit application procedure can help you get a charger permit in less than 3 days. The City is working with Ava Community Energy (formerly East Bay Community Energy) to expand opportunities to charge electric vehicles in public places around town, a project that 79% of Piedmonters approve of.
In November 2021, City staff circulated an online EV Community Survey to further understand Piedmonters EV charging needs and preferences. Over 150 Piedmonters participated in the survey. A copy of the topline survey results can be found here. City staff also hosted a virtual Town Hall on November 22, 2021 to provide an opportunity for Piedmont residents to learn more about Public EV Charging Stations. The Town Hall provided an opportunity for questions about an upcoming funding opportunity and public EV charging in Piedmont to be answered. Following a short presentation about EV charging and the Alameda County Incentive Project, a panel provided responses to questions submitted by attendees. A recording of the virtual EV Town Hall from 11/22/2021 can be found here.
What do Piedmonters think about EVs?
Check out these testimonials from Piedmont residents discussing their experiences with Electric Vehicles. You can watch the video here. These are just some of the things that Piedmont residents have to say about driving electric:
“We absolutely love it… it’s peppy, it’s responsive, it’s silent. It’s the most fun I’ve had driving a car.” --Susan Miller-Davis
“I love my electric car. It’s quiet, it has tremendous power and pickup, and I find it’s everything I want in a gas car without the annoyance of odors and noise.” --Glen Friedman
“It’s great because it’s so quiet, and it runs emissions free. I love not going to the gas station, ever!” --Anja Hart
“It’s actually quite a kick to drive this thing, it’s very quick and very responsive.” --Steve Schiller
Where can I find more information about regional EV opportunities?
Upcoming Webinars
Drive Clean Bay Area covers electric vehicle ownership, costs and benefits, while answering any questions you might have. Upcoming webinar sessions can be found here. For a list of all Drive Clean Bay Area events , please visit this web page.
Resources
Are you interested in accessing more state funding for EV's? Please visit this page to learn more about a statewide funding program.
Background on Electric Vehicles
Electric Vehicles (EVs) are powered by rechargeable batteries instead of traditional internal combustion engines. They must be charged every 250 miles or so. Charging can happen at home charging stations or at charging ports in public locations. EV’s cost
less to charge than you would spend on gas, and the average cost of repairs and upkeep is lower than traditional gas vehicles. This technology can
save drivers money and reduce emissions, but you must have reliable access to a charger to get the most out of your EV. Installing a charging station at your residence requires a building permit.
In September 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an
executive order requiring sales of all new passenger vehicles to be zero-emission by 2035. This action will make transitioning to electric vehicles an important next step for many drivers. In both California and Piedmont, transportation is a large source of greenhouse gas emissions.
Making the switch to an electric vehicle is one of the most effective actions you can take as a household to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Gas powered vehicles emit over 40% of the greenhouse gas emissions in Piedmont. EVs have numerous advantages over traditional combustion engines. Almost all Piedmont homes and businesses run on electricity provided by Ava Community Energy (Ava) that is generated by 100% renewable sources, which means that all electricity is
produced by wind and solar. When you plug your car into an electric charging port in your garage, you are using renewable sources to charge it instead of relying on fossil fuels. Electricity is
less expensive than gasoline throughout California, and electric chargers can be found in more and more places.
Here is California's emission chart:
Here is Piedmont's emission chart:
The use of EVs is not meant to discourage public transit or walking. However, when it is necessary or convenient to use a personal vehicle, choosing an electric vehicle for the trip will make a big difference in eliminating emissions and air pollution. Switching to electric vehicles can benefit drivers, their communities and the planet.
Piedmont Vehicle Data
Driving gas powered cars is a primary source of Piedmont greenhouse gas emissions. Below is data and data sources to learn more about our driving habits.
Number of EVs
Electric Vehicles produce no tailpipe emissions, meaning they help Piedmont lower in-boundary emissions. An approximation of electric vehicle ownership can be made using rebate information. EV drivers typically claim a rebate for their car purchase. The Clean Vehicle Rebate Project offers data on rebates both in histogram form (found here) and map form (found here). Based on 2020 Department of Motor Vehicle vehicle registration data, EVs account for ~11% of the vehicles registered in Piedmont.
Electric Vehicle Charging stations
Electric Vehicle chargers are an important piece of infrastructure to support electric vehicles. In addition to charging at home, drivers can use public stations. For a map of public electric vehicle stations, please visit this page. The City anticipates installing its first public EV charging stations on Magnolia Avenue in 2024.
Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT) trends
VMT is a statistic used to measure vehicle travel trends and help reduce emissions. As Piedmont is a small city, sometimes we use larger datasets to help estimate vehicle usage. One example of this is the Alameda County 2020 VMT per capita map found here. You can read more about how it works on this page. The BAAQMD put together this data portal to look at VMT trends.