California spending billions to electrify the transportation sector

[Zorro]

California policymakers are committed to making sure that electric vehicles — and the charging stations and other infrastructure needs associated with them — transform the state’s transportation sector. But it won’t come cheaply.

A review conducted by the San Diego Union-Tribune showed various state agencies have committed $2.46 billion in public funds — some of it already spent and the rest planned over a number of years — for programs aimed at luring drivers out of cars and trucks powered by internal combustion engines and encouraging them into zero- or low-emission vehicles.

And that doesn’t count the $800 million in electric vehicle, or EV, programs that Volkswagen is spending across the state as part of an unprecedented settlement to help resolve the car maker’s emissions scandal. A state entity — the California Air Resources Board — is overseeing how and where the money is spent.

When the VW settlement is taken into account, investments to electrify California’s transportation landscape go well north of $3 billion, thus far.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/energy-green/sd-fi-california-ev-costs-20190203-story.html

[stopbush]

1. My son drives an all-electric Fiat. It has a range of only 80 miles on a full charge

and a full charge from zero takes over 20 hours on a 120 line.

That’s the big drawback to many electric vehicles.

[Zorro]

2. Many electric vehicles can charge on a Level 2 NEMA 14-50 240 outlet (like what clothes washers use)

Depending on the amps one can get over 25 miles per hour of charge.

Level 3 and Tesla Superchargers can give one a lot more miles in a shorter period of time; Superchargers provide over 200 miles per one hour of charge, and Porsche is reportedly working on even quicker charging times for their upcoming electric cars (as is Tesla).