SDG&E Launches New EV Incentives Powering San Diego Fleets

July 16, 2020

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In partnership with: SDG&E

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California has been leading the charge to get more zero emission vehicles on the road in support of statewide goals to improve air quality and combat climate change. Electric vehicle (EV) deployments, particularly in the medium- and heavy-duty vehicle sectors that are largely dependent on petroleum-based fuels, are critical for the state to meet its climate-related goals as transportation is the single largest source of greenhouse gases, according to the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

To assist organizations that operate a fleet of vehicles in making the transition to EVs, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has launched Power Your Drive for Fleets, a EV infrastructure program for medium- and heavy-duty, on- and off-road vehicles. The program offers no-cost electrical infrastructure design and construction services, as well as EV charger rebates for eligible equipment and qualified customers. The goal of SDG&E’s program is to install charging infrastructure at a minimum of 300 customer sites, and to facilitate the deployment of at least 3,000 electric vehicles in the San Diego region over the next five years.

SDG&E has launched Power Your Drive for Fleets, an infrastructure program for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

Why Electrify with SDG&E?

Transitioning a vehicle fleet to electric can offer significant total cost of ownership savings over the long term, on top of staggering environmental benefits, but upfront costs to procure new EVs and install chargers can be prohibitively high for many. To help mitigate these upfront costs, SDG&E created Power Your Drive for Fleets to make it easier and more cost-effective for organizations to transition to an electric fleet. SDG&E’s program offers financial incentives, rebates, site design, permitting, construction, activation, maintenance, and upgrade support. Fleet customers can choose between two options for infrastructure installation:

  1. Utility-owned, where SDG&E pays for, constructs, owns, and maintains all infrastructure up to the charging station. With this option, fleets pay for and own the charging stations.
  2. Customer-owned, where SDG&E pays for, constructs, owns, and maintains infrastructure up to the meter. Here the fleet customer would pay for, construct, own, and maintain the infrastructure behind the meter. With this option, SDG&E offers a rebate of up to 80% of the associated costs.

In addition to the design and construction support for infrastructure, SDG&E also offers rebates on charging equipment for schools, transit agencies, and eligible sites located in disadvantaged communities. To further improve the competitiveness and total cost of ownership of EVs, SDG&E offers reduced electricity rates that provide relief from demand charges.

SDG&E’s program offers financial incentives, rebates, site design, permitting, construction, activation, maintenance, and upgrade support.

Further Buying Down the Cost of Electrification

Beyond SDG&E’s Power Your Drive for Fleets program, there are federal, state, and regional funding opportunities available to offset the cost of purchasing and deploying electric vehicles. Customers can leverage the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District Grant Program (formerly the Carl Moyer Program), opening this fall, which is anticipated to make $9.2 million available for public and private entities to purchase medium- or heavy-duty EVs. The Volkswagen Program for Zero Emission Class 8 Freight and Port Drayage will make another $27 million available for the purchase of Class 8 freight and port drayage trucks, also opening this fall. These are just two of the many funding opportunities available to SDG&E customers interested in electrifying their fleets.

To learn more about SDG&E’s Power Your Drive for Fleets program and to see if your organization qualifies, join us for a webinar on July 29, Overcoming EV Roadblocks: How to Maximize Cost Savings for Vehicles, Infrastructure, and Energy. Featuring speakers from SDG&E, San Diego Regional Clean Cities, and South Coast Air Quality Management District, this webinar will provide more details on the benefits of electrification, the funding incentives available, and the ways Power Your Drive for Fleets can help make the EV transition an easy one.