California now has more EV chargers than gas nozzles

By Christina Holiday

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    SACRAMENTO, California (KSBW) — Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that California has reached over 178,000 public and shared private electric vehicle (EV) chargers installed statewide.

California now has 48% more public and shared private EV chargers than the number of gasoline nozzles. The California Energy Commission (CEC) estimates there are about 120,000 gas nozzles in the state, compared to 178,549 public and shared private chargers by the completion of 2024.

In a statement on the number of EV chargers, Newsom explains it marks an increase in options to charge your car despite discouragement from the federal government.

“We’re embracing our clean car future and providing consumers more choices,” he said. “No matter what ‘big government’ mandates come out of Washington.”

Out of the total EV chargers in the state, over 162,000 are Level 2 chargers. Level 2 chargers are typically used in homes along with workplace and commercial locations. They can charge a vehicle in typically four to 10 hours.

The remaining chargers are fast chargers. These are commonly found in public locations such as highways and urban areas. Fast chargers can give a vehicle a nearly complete charge within 20 minutes to an hour.

Rapidly deploying funds

Currently, California leads in zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) infrastructure efforts and has committed billions of dollars in support of clean transportation goals.

For example, the state has previously approved a $1.4 billion investment plan to expand the most extensive charging and hydrogen network in the country. The investment plan funds projects like the Fast Charge California Project, which is a part of the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP), the nation’s largest EV charging incentive initiative.

Better data collection

California is also working hard to improve the EV driver experience. Part of that includes gathering better data to understand where chargers are most needed and tracking the state’s progress in meeting charger goals.

Of the more than 73,000 chargers added in 2024, nearly 38,000 new one were installed. The remaining chargers were installed before 2024 and identified through new data sources.

Building a bigger, better charging network

State agencies are working to speed up deployment and efficiently power charging stations through local utilities. This includes:

Gather better data on charger counts. Prioritize projects. Develop a plan to lay out an overall strategy to meet California’s ZEV goals. Establish reliability standards.

California’s ZEV market remains strong with 30 percent of new ZEVs sold in the U.S. sold in California, according to the state Air Resources Board. Also, 1 in 4 Californians have chosen zero-emission models over gas-powered cars for the last two years in a row.

Creating a clean transportation transition

These new numbers help mark a major milestone toward a clean transportation future.

As California works toward this clean transportation future, the state is also advancing efforts to prevent gasoline price spikes.

In addition to advancing zero-emission vehicles, the Newsom administration is prioritizing the following:

clean fuel production public transit rail infrastructure enhancements a cleaner, smarter electric grid

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