As electric vehicle (EV) adoption increases across California, the state continues to ramp up its EV goals, investing in subsidies for EV infrastructure and banning the sale of gas cars after 2035. California accounts for nearly half of all EV sales nationwide, and in the San Jose area, EVs constituted 20% of new vehicle sales in 2019. Commercial sites are seeing the value of having EV chargers onsite to attract clientele and future-proof their business.
The California Public Utilities Commission has made extensive efforts to help further these trends. Part of their efforts include providing grant money to help state utilities improve EV charging infrastructure through programs like Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E’s) incentives.
Since 2018, PG&E has received $22.4M from the Commission to help commercial customers offset the costs of EV Supply Equipment (EVSE) and fleet electrification. Through the end of 2025—or until the funds are completely allocated—PG&E is paying for Level 2 and DC Fast Charging (DCFC) infrastructure installation—and in some cases part of the charger costs themselves—at commercial customer sites. PG&E is offering these infrastructure incentives through two programs, the EV Fast Charge Program and the EV Fleet Program. Read on to learn how you can take advantage of the savings.
How does PG&E’s EV Fast Charge Program work?
PG&E’s EV Fast Charge Program pays for and manages 100% of the “make ready” portion of EVSE installation for qualifying commercial customers. “Make-ready” work ranges from electrical infrastructure improvements like new transformers or panels to concrete pouring, mounting cellular repeaters and running conduit and wire. Because the program requires customers to install a minimum number of DCFC stations with a minimum 50kW output—like the JuicePump 50kW—make-ready work is almost always required, and can easily become the most expensive part of EVSE installation.
For sites located in disadvantaged communities, PG&E will also pay up to $25,000 of purchase costs per DCFC charging station, which can easily cover nearly the full cost of the hardware. Taken together, those subsidies cover everything but modest charger installation costs and ongoing electricity and EVSE software dues, which can be quickly recouped through EV charging station use fees.
As with most utility programs, incentives from PG&E’s EV Fast Charge Program can be stacked with other rebates, from federal all the way down to local. If you qualify for the CALeVIP program, for instance, you can drive already low project costs down even further.
Am I eligible To participate in PG&E’s EV Fast Charge Incentive Program?
To take advantage of the incentives PG&E is offering commercial sites, you have to meet six simple qualifications:
- You must receive electric service from PG&E under a commercial plan
- Your site has to be publicly accessible 24/7 and appear on charging maps
- The charging stations you install must have at least a 50kW charging capacity
- Your charging stations must use CHAdeMo or CCS charging connectors, and your site must have at least one of each connector available
- Your charging stations must remain operational for five years following activation
- You must procure charging stations from a PG&E eligible vendor
How does PG&E’s EV Fleet Program work?
PG&E’s EV Fleet Program pays for 50% of the costs of an EV charging station, up to $42,000 depending on the EV charger’s power output. It also offers a variety of cash back incentives for EV fleet leasing or purchases:
- $9,000 off the cost of electric transit buses and Class 8 vehicles
- $3,000 off the cost of transportation refrigeration units (TRU), truck stop electrification (TSE), airport ground support equipment (GSE), and forklifts
- $4,000 off the cost of electric school buses, local delivery trucks, and other vehicles
Am I eligible to participate in PG&E’s EV Fleet Program?
To take advantage of PG&E’s commercial incentives for EV fleets and charging infrastructure, there are six straightforward qualifications you’ll need to meet:
- You must receive electric service from PG&E under a commercial plan
- You must own or lease the property on which you plan to install EVSE
- You must install at least 2 EV charging stations
- Your EV Fleet and EVSE must be used for medium- and heavy-duty applications
- You must provide PG&E data related to EV usage for at least 5 years after charging stations are installed and operational
- You must agree to operate and maintain charging equipment for at least 10 years
As a qualified PG&E EVSE vendor, Enel X Way is uniquely positioned to help commercial property owners and businesses take advantage of PG&E EV rebate programs while stacking federal, state and local incentives on top. To see a full list of the PGE EV incentives you may qualify for, check out our online rebate checker. We’ve guided more than 4,000 business customers at 35,000+ sites through the EVSE setup process, ensuring they tapped into incentives wherever possible.