Six counties along the coast of California are partnering up to determine where electric car charging stations should be located.
A new study is being conducted to help make car charging more readily available on the Central Coast.
“We want these stations where people will use them,” said SBCAG Public Information Officer Lauren Bianchi Klemann.
“It really is the future, and it will help reduce climate change,” said SLOCOG Transportation Planner Tim Gillham.
The Central Coast Zero Emission Vehicle Strategy is in the process of conducting a study, reaching out to the public for their insight.
“We received a grant from Caltrans, a $200,000 grant for sustainable transportation to make this a reality,” said Bianchi Klemann. “We developed an interactive mapping tool that has some innovative features on the map that allows people to identify what type of charging stations they're interested in and where. There are icons that identify three different types of charging stations.”
“We're specifically looking at where people want to charge, how often they expect to charge at any given location, how many chargers they think should be located, whether people plan to shop nearby where their car is being charged,” said Gillham.
The counties involved in the study include Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz.
“You can use those icons to put locations that they want anywhere from Ventura to Santa Cruz or San Benito,” said Bianchi Klemann.
Part of the study will be focused on investigating how many chargers may be added along the coast.
“We are identifying existing conditions, where all the chargers are that currently exist within the five counties and Ventura,” said Gillham.
The study will also explore which areas may need the chargers the most.
“We can actually expand it into rural areas and disadvantaged communities,” said Gillham.
Funding for the overall project that comes after the study will come from the federal government as part of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program.
The public has until the end of October to participate in the survey. The mapping tool can be found here.
