2021 q1 report to california air resources board

2021 Q1 Report to California Air Resources Board Public Version

May 20, 2021

2 2021 Q1 Report to California Air Resources Board

Contents 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 3

2. A Network of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations .................................................................................. 4

2.1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 4

2.2. Acquiring Sites in Station Target Zones ............................................................................................. 4

2.2. Constructing a Network of DC Fast Charging Stations ....................................................................... 4

2.2.3. Ultra-fast Electric Vehicle Charger Technology .............................................................................. 7

2.2.3.1. Chargers and Equipment Ordered and Delivered ........................................................................ 8

2.2.4. Electrify America Ultra-Fast Charging Station Operations .............................................................. 9

2.3. Level 2 Rural, Workplace, and Multiunit Dwelling Charging Stations ............................................... 9

2.3.1. Charger Technology ...................................................................................................................... 10

3. Education, Awareness, and Marketing ............................................................................................... 11

3.1. Brand-Neutral ZEV Education and Awareness Media Campaign ..................................................... 11

3.2. Low-Income and Disadvantaged Community-level Investments .................................................... 12

3.3. Sponsorships .................................................................................................................................... 14

3.4. Branded Marketing .......................................................................................................................... 15

4. Cycle 1 Sacramento Green City Initiative ............................................................................................ 16

4.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 16

4.2. Infrastructure ................................................................................................................................... 16

4.3. ZEV Shuttle / Bus .............................................................................................................................. 16

4.4. Car-Sharing Services ......................................................................................................................... 17

4.4.1. GIG Car Share ............................................................................................................................ 17

4.4.2 Envoy .......................................................................................................................................... 17

4.4.3. AAA Electric Vehicle Subscription ............................................................................................. 17

4.5. Disadvantaged and Low-Income Impact .......................................................................................... 18


1. Introduction Electrify America, LLC, is investing $2 billion in financially sustainable business opportunities that

advance the use of Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) technology, $800 million of which must be spent in

California. From its inception in 2017, Electrify America has moved rapidly to implement its $2 billion

ZEV Investment Commitment.

As detailed below, Electrify America’s activities in the first quarter of 2021 (Q1) were focused on

implementing the Cycle 2 California ZEV Investment Plan and adapting to operating during the COVID-19

pandemic.

During Q1, Electrify America opened 23

new public charging stations with 88

individual DC fast chargers in California, at

a pace of approximately two stations per

week. Consistent with Electrify America’s

focus on providing a high quality charging

experience, Electrify America also

introduced a redesigned mobile app and

expanded its relationships with

automakers.

Electrify America continued investing in

the “Normal Now” brand-neutral

education and awareness campaign and the “Hello, Freedom” campaign. Electrify America also

announced the sponsorship of EVNoire’s campaign, and $1.6 million in funding for four organizations

focused on EV-specific workforce development and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)

education programs centered on EV technology.

Finally, the organizations that received Electrify America investment in 2018 and 2019 as part of the

Sacramento Green City Initiative continued to operate their services in Q1.

Electrify America publishes this quarterly report to share the progress and impact of its Cycle 1 and Cycle

2 investments.

Figure 1 - Electrify America Celebrated its 500th Station Opening in November 2020


2. A Network of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

2.1. Introduction

As laid out in the Cycle 2 California ZEV Investment Plan, Electrify America is developing a network of

electric vehicle (EV) charging stations along highly traveled highway corridors, on critically important

regional routes, and in nine carefully selected metropolitan areas (Figure 2). The planned network, when

combined with investments made in Cycle 1, will consist of more than a thousand DC fast charging

dispensers at hundreds of charging station sites built or under development in California. The network

deploys cutting-edge technology to deliver convenient customer-centric charging, connecting California

to the Electrify America national network in 45 other states. Electrify America anticipates that 35% of its

business-driven investments within California will be in low-income or disadvantaged communities

(LIC/DAC).1

2.2. Acquiring Sites in Station

Target Zones

In Q1, Electrify America continued

pursuing access to sites to host

Cycle 2 DC fast charging stations.

In each target zone, Electrify

America considers multiple real

estate leads, based on their unique

attributes, such as the availability

of three-phase power, site lighting,

and access to customer amenities.

Throughout the site acquisition

process, Electrify America works closely with 21 electric utilities in California to identify efficient

locations from a grid perspective and those with the lowest service connection costs for Electrify

America. To acquire high-quality sites, Electrify America has also entered into master agreements with

53 large-scale real estate owners that provide access to sites nationwide2. Electrify America also

collaborates with owners of desirable individual properties across California.

2.2. Constructing a Network of DC Fast Charging Stations

In Q1, Electrify America opened 23 additional public DC fast charging stations in California, bringing the

total to 175 stations. The number of station sites permitted increased 9%, the number of stations

1 Electrify America uses definitions for low-income and disadvantaged communities established by the State of California, which are published and mapped by CARB on its “Disadvantaged and Low-income Communities Investments” webpage: https://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/capandtrade/auctionproceeds/communityinvestments.htm 2 Electrify America’s announced real estate station site hosts with multiple stations include Albertsons, Bank of America, Brixmor Property Group, Brookfield, Casey’s General Stores, DDR Corporation, Federal Realty Investment Trust, Fulcrum Property, Global Partners LP’s Alltown, Jamestown, Kimco Realty Corporation, Kroger, Kum and Go, Love’s Travel Stops, The Macerich Company, Meijer, Pan-Cal Corporation, the Save Mart Companies, Sheetz, Inc., ShopCore Properties, Simon Property Group, Site Centers Corporation, Target Corporation, ValueRock Realty Partners, Walmart, Washington Prime Group and Westfield.

Figure 2 - Electrify America's Cycle 2 California Investments

https://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/capandtrade/auctionproceeds/communityinvestments.htm


constructed increased 10%, and the number of stations commissioned increased 15%, in a single

quarter.

Electrify America continued to invest heavily in

disadvantaged and low-income communities during Q1,

as well as rural California. As shown in Figure 3,

approximately 50% of Electrify America’s public DC fast

charging stations at every stage of development are in

disadvantaged and low-income communities, exceeding

the 35% target. Electrify America has also invested

approximately $90 million in public DC fast charging

stations in rural California through the end of 2020, and

we are developing more stations per capita in rural

California communities than in urban California.3

To accomplish this rapid development pace, Electrify

America has contracted with highly qualified and

experienced engineering and construction firms to

complete DC fast charging station permitting, design

and installation work. These contracting firms, which

together employ nearly 7,000 people nationwide, have

managed the installation of thousands of DC fast

chargers across the U.S. Electrify America and its

contractors continued to encounter challenges and

issues, particularly with regard to “soft costs,” such as

permitting timeframes and utility station energization,

during Q1.

During Q1, the average time to complete the permitting

process for DC fast charging station sites in California

rose from 77 to 79 business days – 30% longer than the

national average (Figure 4).

It costs Electrify America 34% more, on average, to

design and construct a station in California than it costs

to build a station with the same number of chargers in another state. The additional permitting burdens

imposed in California appear to be the primary cause for this difference. For example, permitting

processes result in station sites being redesigned far more frequently in California than in the rest of the

nation, which increases cost and leads to delays. This higher cost per station ultimately means that

California will receive fewer stations per dollar invested by Electrify America.

3 Consistent with Census Bureau practice, urban places are defined as those with a population of 50,000 or more, and rural places are defined as places or areas that are not in an urban area.

Figure 3 - California Sites and Construction Status


A review by Governor Newsom’s

administration has found that only

24% of California jurisdictions have

streamlined their permitting

processes as required by AB 1236.4

The statute requires California cities

and counties to expedite EV charging

station permitting, to constrain

review to health and safety matters,

to limit comments to a single

comprehensive deficiency notice,

and to bypass zoning. In Electrify

America’s experience, extended zoning review, multiple rounds of comment, and application of parking

count minimums – all prohibited by AB 1236 – are the three most common causes of project delay.

In Q1, Electrify America sponsored AB 970, a bill authored by Assemblymembers McCarty and Chiu that

would make AB 1236 enforceable. Electrify America also engaged with the Newsom administration to

encourage continued state-level oversight of AB 1236 compliance.

In addition, Electrify America encountered challenges with new utility service interconnection processes

across the state. The quantity of locations and magnitude of power required at Electrify America’s ultra-

fast charging station sites requires significant effort from utilities to validate power availability, design

utility service, create easements, and schedule construction crews.5

As of the end of Q1, the new service utility interconnection process for Electrify America stations

averaged 39 weeks. Utilities are taking an average of 8 weeks from the date of new service request to

completion of the request, although the longest processes can take six months or longer. At some sites,

Electrify America faces substantial delay between when construction of the charging station is complete

and when utility construction begins to energize the site, with the longest examples taking almost a

year.

Utility construction and inspection periods – which typically occur after Electrify America has completed

station construction but the station is not open to the public because it is awaiting the addition of utility

equipment (e.g., transformers, line extensions), utility inspection, and utility energization – average 26

weeks. Although the work necessary for construction and inspection typically represents one to two

weeks of work, the longer average timeline is most commonly the result of substantial scheduling delays

4 Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). “EV Charging Station Permitting Streamlining Map.” https://business.ca.gov/industries/zero-emission-vehicles/plug-in-readiness/ 5 In some, but not all, cases, adding an Electrify America charging station requires upgrades to the utility’s distribution system. To support rapid deployment, in some areas Electrify America has taken on civil work to support upgrades to a utility’s distribution system, termed “betterment work.”

Figure 4 - California Permitting Duration and Station Cost

https://business.ca.gov/industries/zero-emission-vehicles/plug-in-readiness/


and frequent rescheduling. Extenuating, project-

specific circumstances (e.g., an easement across

Federal land) can also be the cause of delay. There

were 29 sites at the end of Q1 at which Electrify

America had completed construction, but which were

not open to the public due to pending

interconnection, inspection, and commissioning

processes.

2.2.3. Ultra-fast Electric Vehicle Charger

Technology

Electrify America’s customer-centric stations use the

most advanced technology ever deployed for

convenient, fast charging. In Q1, Electrify America

focused on using this technology to provide the

highest quality open network charging experience in

the industry.

Electrify America’s charging systems were the first 350

kW chargers with state-of-the-art liquid-cooled cables

certified to UL standards in the United States.6 Cycle 2

public ultra-fast charging stations are typically

equipped with four to 10 chargers capable of

delivering maximum power levels from 150 kW to 350

kW. The chargers are also able to step down to lower power levels for vehicles equipped for lower

powered DC fast charging. At maximum continuous power, 350 kW chargers are able to deliver

approximately 20 miles of range per minute to a capable vehicle.

All Electrify America DC fast charging stations are designed with multiple payment options, including

credit/debit cards, App-based payment, and Plug&Charge, which allows EV owners to begin a charge

without reaching for their wallet, smartphone or bank card. Plug&Charge follows the ISO 15118

standard, an international standard that outlines the secured communication protocol that an EV and

charging station should use to recharge the EV’s battery, and Electrify America is the first to provide this

capability to EV’s from multiple automotive brands.

Electrify America stations support both the CCS Combo and CHAdeMO connectors.7 In recent years, an

increasing percentage of non-Tesla EVs sold in the U.S. have relied on the CCS standard, and CCS is now

6 Neither liquid-cooled cables nor 350 kW charging had been deployed commercially in the United States before the Electrify America network. As a result, Electrify America leases the Center of Excellence for equipment quality control and validation. 7 Some models of vehicles utilizing proprietary charging systems must use an adapter at Electrify America stations.

Figure 5 - Electrify America's Transformational Ultra-fast Charging Technology


the non-proprietary standard of choice

for 31 automakers in the U.S. market.8

Electrify America’s public ultra-fast

stations typically have more CCS chargers

than CHAdeMO chargers per station site,

but Electrify America continues to see

more use of CCS chargers on a per-

charger basis. In Q1, CHAdeMO chargers

delivered 5% of the power dispensed at

Electrify America stations in California,

decreasing from 6% in 2020.

Electrify America stations are also equipped with cellular connectivity and are networked, using open

protocols compliant with Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) version 1.6 or higher.9 These capabilities

were managed for Electrify America in Q1 by Greenlots, which is headquartered in Los Angeles.10

Electrify America has also exchanged roaming specifications with most U.S. charging networks.

Finally, Electrify America continued renewable energy procurement, ensuring that all electricity

delivered to consumers from California stations was 100% renewable energy during Q1.

2.2.3.1. Chargers and Equipment Ordered and Delivered

Chargers are scheduled to be delivered to station sites upon commencement of construction. During Q1,

102 DC fast chargers were delivered to new station sites in California.

Electrify America has also ordered battery storage capacity to mitigate high demand charges, reduce on-

peak energy charges, and ease grid loads.11 During Q1, Electrify America identified destinations of

battery systems based on site-specific limitations, ongoing changes in utility rates, and utility grid needs

in California. By the end of the quarter, 74 of the 86 applications that Electrify America submitted to

electric utilities for permission to connect battery systems had been approved, and 31 battery systems

were operational – a 35% increase during the quarter.

Electrify America was ultimately successful in gaining approval for these behind-the-meter systems, but

we encountered numerous challenges with the process, including utilities that considered the storage to

be added load or generation. These battery systems are designed to reduce peak load and lower

demands on the distribution system. Treating them as new load – in addition to the EV charging station

8 “Electrify America Comment regarding Staff Workshop on Future Equipment Requirements for CALeVIP.” December 14, 2019. https://efiling.energy.ca.gov/Lists/DocketLog.aspx?docketnumber=17-EVI-01 9 Electrify America’s public stations will be equipped with back end systems that can use Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI) 2.1 to communicate with other networks and Open InterCharge Protocol (OICP) to be able to connect to roaming platforms, when a business agreement is secured, in a manner that does not require use of any particular firm’s intellectual property. 10 The network controls are hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS), which allows a high security standard. Electrify America undertook intensive testing to approve AWS as a safe and secure environment, as well as security audits of Greenlots as part of the licensing of the network. Also, Electrify America selected a vendor to perform architecture reviews and penetration tests to provide data security. 11 “Electrify America Adds Tesla Battery Storage To More Than 100 New Charging Stations.” February 4, 2019. https://media.electrifyamerica.com/en-us/releases/48

Figure 6 - Electrify America Implements Plug&Charge

https://efiling.energy.ca.gov/Lists/DocketLog.aspx?docketnumber=17-EVI-01

https://media.electrifyamerica.com/en-us/releases/48


load – serves as a barrier to rapid deployment efforts, and frequently leads to rigorous, time-intensive

interconnection studies.

2.2.4. Electrify America Ultra-Fast Charging Station Operations

Electrify America is committed to providing a reliable, high-quality, and customer-centric charging

experience. In December 2020, the Electrify America fast-charging network was rated Number One by

Charged Electric Vehicles Magazine and received its “Best-in-Test” award. In Q1, Electrify America

increased customer service, network operations, training, and service capabilities, and initiated a robust

in-field station testing program.

In March, Electrify America rolled out a full redesign of its industry-leading mobile app to provide

electric vehicle drivers with a simple and inclusive ‘one stop’ solution for all their transportation and

mobility needs.12 Specific enhancements to the mobile app included a streamlined account creation

process, helpful tips for navigating station information, guidance throughout the charging experience,

optimized contactless payment and an intuitive display of charging station information.

To increase and simplify access to stations, Electrify America also continued to expand collaboration

with automakers. Electrify America and Hyundai Motor America announced that drivers of the 2021

Kona Electric and Ioniq Electric models will received 250 kilowatt-hours of complimentary charging on

Electrify America’s ultra-fast charging network.13 (Two hundred and fifty kilowatt-hours equals about

1,000 miles of EPA estimated driving range in a 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric or Ioniq Electric.)

Electrify America saw a substantial increase in customer activity and station utilization during Q1,

continuing a trend from Q4 2020. During the quarter, utilization steadily rose, with customer charging

sessions in the final month of Q1 reaching their highest levels to date.

2.3. Level 2 Rural, Workplace, and Multiunit Dwelling Charging Stations

As noted above, Electrify America has invested approximately $90 million in rural areas as part of its

core investment strategy in public DC fast charging stations, and Electrify America has developed more

of these stations per capita in rural communities than in urban communities. In addition, the Cycle 2

California ZEV Investment Plan included a $2 million investment to pilot innovative Level 2 AC charging

station business models, which would be focused specifically on rural California communities.

In Q1, Electrify America operated off-grid, solar-powered charging stations at 30 sites, with a high

concentration of locations in California’s Central Valley, as part of this investment.14 Ten of these

stations were managed in collaboration with Fresno County Rural Transit Agency (FCRTA). Charging

vehicles at these stations is free to consumers and open to use by all electric vehicles.

12 “Electrify America Introduces Fully Redesigned Mobile App for Effortless Public and Home Electric Vehicle Charging.” March 4, 2021. https://media.electrifyamerica.com/en-us/releases/132 13 “Hyundai Brings Complimentary, Fast Charging to Kona and Ioniq with Electrify America Network.” March 17, 2020. https://media.electrifyamerica.com/en-us/releases/134 14 “Electrify America Launches Solar-Powered Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Rural Fresno County.” September 30, 2020.






In Q1, Electrify America also continued to work with its

turnkey vendors (EV Connect, Greenlots and

SemaConnect) to provide charging services at

workplace and multiunit dwelling charging stations

built during Cycle 1. More than 1,500 charging ports

across 241 sites were operational, with 42% of these

station sites in low-income and disadvantaged

communities. In Q1, the program’s L2 workplace and

MUD stations delivering approximately 306 megawatt-

hours to vehicles.

2.3.1. Charger Technology

Electrify America sourced charging systems for its Level 2 AC rural California investments from Beam

Global (formerly Envision Solar), a San Diego-based sustainable technology company. The EV ARC™ 2020

is a transportable, solar-powered electric vehicle charging infrastructure product. Each stand-alone

station is equipped with a 4.28 kW sun-tracking solar array, 32 kWh of on-board battery storage that

allows the station to operate without a connection to the power grid, and two Electrify America L2 EV

chargers equipped with non-proprietary SAE J1772 connectors. This combination allows for two

customers to charge their vehicles at the same time using 100 percent renewable electricity – in any

weather, at any time of day, and even during a blackout or power outage.

Beam Global operates and maintains

electronic communication with the

chargers installed and operated on

behalf of Electrify America, as well as

those installed independently of the

program’s efforts. Electrify America

owns the data from these charging

stations.

Electrify America-funded workplace and

MUD charging stations funded during

Cycle 1 typically have four to six L2

chargers, each with a minimum power level of 6.6 kW. The chargers provide 20 to 25 miles of driving

range per hour of charging for a typical EV using the non-proprietary SAE J1772 connector, which can be

used with all electric vehicles in the United States.

Electrify America’s workplace and MUD charging station vendors own, operate, and maintain their own

electronic data networks in support of L2 chargers installed and operated on behalf of Electrify America,

as well as those installed independently of the program’s efforts. Electrify America owns the data from

these charging stations. The chargers installed under this program are on the vendors' networks.

Figure 8 - EV ARC™ 2020 with Electrify America L2 Chargers

Figure 7 - EV Charging at Workplace/MUD Sites


3. Education, Awareness, and Marketing

3.1. Brand-Neutral ZEV Education and Awareness Media Campaign

During Q1 2021, Electrify America continued its “Normal Now” education and awareness campaign in

California to educate consumers about the reasons to purchase a ZEV. The campaign – which was

recently awarded an “Outstanding Achievement in Internet Advertising” award by the Web Marketing

Association for producing the “Best Automobile Online Ad” of the year – accomplished nearly 100,000

impressions (i.e., listeners and viewers) in California during the quarter.15

The Normal Now campaign, developed by San Francisco-based

communications firm Eleven, aims to introduce and normalize zero-

emission vehicles for the vast majority of Americans who are not

aware of or have never considered switching to a ZEV. Through

comical 15-second videos, GIFs and still images, the Normal Now

campaign draws comparisons between “new technology” of the past

– including cell phones, smart watches and online dating – that were

“weird at first,” but are normal now – just like EVs. The education and

awareness efforts include brand-neutral digital and paid search

campaigns and a bilingual landing page (www.NormalNow.com) that

provides an overview of the benefits of both battery electric and

hydrogen fuel cell electric ZEVs, with links to third-party websites

containing robust content for users.

On March 1, Electrify America initiated Flight 3 of the Normal Now

campaign, beginning with paid search ads on Google and Bing. Over

the remainder of March, these ads drove a total of nearly 100,000 impressions, including over 7,800

clicks through to the Normal Now campaign website. This click-through rate exceeds historical

benchmarks by 35%, suggesting that users are more interested in Normal Now messaging than they

were in previous years.

During the quarter, Electrify America also continued to workshop new creative concepts to support the

launch of additional Flight 3 media channels in May. Paid search will continue through the rest of the

year, and will be supplemented by these new channels when they launch during the second quarter.

Electrify America and its media agency bought digital media by specific zip codes, in order to ensure that

35% of all media spending occurred in low-income and disadvantaged communities.

Table 1 below illustrates initial results from the paid search campaign initiated on March 1, which will be

supplemented by additional media channels as they come online in the next quarter.

15 “The Web Marketing Association is proud to present this 2021 Internet Advertising Competition Award for Outstanding Achievement in Internet Advertising.” http://www.iacaward.org/iac/winner/18230/truex-and-phd-wins-2021-iac-award-for-electrify-america-normal-now.html

Figure 9 - Normal Now Spanish-Language Mobile Landing Page

http://www.iacaward.org/iac/winner/18230/truex-and-phd-wins-2021-iac-award-for-electrify-america-normal-now.html




Table 1 - California Normal Now Impressions

Total California Impressions

Media Type General Audience Media Targeted in

LIC/DAC Areas Total

Search 65,752 33,490 99,242

TOTAL 65,752 33,490 99,242

3.2. Low-Income and Disadvantaged Community-level Investments

In October 2020, Electrify America announced $3 million of investment in organizations that provide ZEV

education and awareness programs for low-income and disadvantaged communities in California. The

investment provides support for six California-based organizations as they raise awareness on the

benefits of driving ZEVs, while working to get more drivers behind the wheel of electric vehicles. The six

recipient organizations and their activities during Q1 are summarized in Table 2.

Table 2 - Low-Income and Disadvantaged Community Outreach Investments

Organization Description Q1 2021 Accomplishments

Breathe of

Southern

California

(Breathe SoCal)

Breathe SoCal (formerly BREATHE

LA) is a non-profit, non-partisan

organization that will collaborate

with Plug In America (PIA) to show

the powerful benefits of driving

electric by providing ZEV Ride and

Drive events among low-income

and disadvantaged populations in

greater Los Angeles County, San

Bernardino and Riverside County

areas.

- Held two virtual ride and drive events reaching

111 attendees

- 82% of ride and drive attendees reported interest

in renting or owning a ZEV after the event

- 70% of participants reported considering buying a

ZEV within next two years

- 33% of attendees reported not knowing about

ZEV rebates and incentives prior to event

- Reached over 67,000 people through paid

Facebook ads, organic posts and emails on

benefits of ZEVs

Central California

Asthma

Collaborative

(CCAC)

CCAC will engage with low-income

and disadvantaged residents across

the San Joaquin Valley, including

coordination of the Clean Vehicle

Empowerment Collaborative

(CVEC), a group of eight

community-based organizations

who serve as trusted messengers in

disadvantaged Valley communities.

This program will support the

development of an EV Navigator

program, providing residents one-

on-one assistance with ZEV pricing,

financing and incentive

applications.

- Finished producing three virtual ride and drive

videos with CBO partners in Stanislaus, San

Joaquin, and west Fresno counties

- Hosted seven additional online EV workshops

with CBO partners in Madera, Fresno and Kern

counties, including two in Spanish

- Announced public voting winners of ZEV art

contest; entries and winners can be viewed at

http://www.evequity.com/

- CVEC EV Navigator (EVN) program provided one-

on-one assistance to 12 San Joaquin Valley

residents to help them submit the CVA program

application

http://www.evequity.com/



Drive Clean Bay

Area (DCBA)

DCBA focuses on engaging local

schools, nonprofits and businesses

to educate their stakeholders to

drive electric. The DCBA campaign

launched the ZEV Families Program

in 2019 in collaboration with

Acterra: Action for a Healthy Planet,

Charge Across Town and Cool the

Earth to connect low income

families in the San Francisco Bay

Area to the clean transportation

movement.

- Completed one additional “Adopt a Polar Bear”

school climate education and action program,

offered in English and Spanish

- Total of six programs completed, reaching over

3,000 students and families via 80 teachers

- Developed and implemented “EVs for Equity”

web page to provide information and promote

events targeting LIC/DAC communities

- Conducted two EV Financial Incentives Clinics

with a total of 141 attendees, and 17 individual

follow-up consultations

- Over 90% of attendees reported more positive

opinion of EVs after attending the clinic

Ecology Action

(EcoAct)

Ecology Action will work with four

community partners to will provide

ZEV Ride and Drives, ZEV Showcase

events and individualized ZEV

purchase guidance by using

bilingual EV Ambassadors virtually

and in person when it is safe to do

so. Ecology Action works in the

California Central Coast region,

including Santa Cruz, San Benito,

Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa

Barbara, and Ventura Counties.

- Developed Purchase Guidance Program providing

one-on-one assistance to prospective low-income

EV buyers

- Assigned 56 clients to advisors, with 14 eligible for

CVRP increased rebate, 27 eligible for Clean

Vehicle Assistance Program (CVAP), and 10 EV

purchases complete

- Hosted six webinars (one in Spanish) with 277

attendees, 38% of whom qualify for CVAP

- Conducted marketing outreach across several

channels: social media, paid media, e-Newsletter,

website, resulting in total reach of 157,023

Liberty Hill

Foundation (LHF)

LHF will focus on connecting low-

income and disadvantaged

households across L.A. County with

diverse grassroots groups through

its emPOWER program - a

partnership between LHF and nine

community-based organizations

operating across L.A. County in

areas on the frontlines of industrial

pollution. The program leverages

the extensive network of CBO

partners across social media

platforms, as well as through direct

outreach leveraging local

community members, volunteers

and leaders.

- Held kick-off event for six emPOWER 2021 CBOs

to establish scope of work to be launched in Q2;

held two training sessions with Valley CAN on

Facebook outreach best practices and developing

analytical reports

- Partnered with Redeemer Community

Partnerships (RCP), operating out of South LA,

using Facebook ads, resulting in 386 emPOWER

intake forms during Q1

- Brought on new partner, Sacred Places Institute

for Indigenous People (SPI) to boost engagement

with indigenous people in LA County and Inland

Empire

https://www.adoptapolarbear.org/

https://drivecleanbayarea.org/evs-for-equity/



Valley Clean Air

Now (Valley CAN)

VCAN is a 501(c)(3) public charity

committed to quantifiably reducing

air emissions in California’s San

Joaquin Valley, the region with the

worst air quality in the United

States. VCAN and partner Charge

Across Town will continue their

comprehensive campaigns that

offer San Joaquin Valley low-

income and disadvantaged

community groups an opportunity

to drive ZEVs and to provide hands-

on help with qualifying for ZEV

incentives through Community

Clean Car Clinics and Tune In &

Tune Up events.

- Worked with statewide coalition of clean

transportation stakeholders to promote proven

benefits of Clean Cars 4 All (CC4A) campaign

- Completed 191 CC4A vehicle replacements during

Q1, with another 200 expected to complete in

April and May

- 72% of CC4A customers chose a ZEV as their

replacement vehicle

- 164 CC4A customers are approved and pending

home EVSE installations by qualified contractors

- Worked with Valley Air District on plan to resume

Community Clean Car Clinics and Tune In & Tune

Up events when public health conditions allow

- Issued 23,500 smog repair vouchers in the 12

months ending April 18 through virtual Tune In &

Tune Up events

3.3. Sponsorships

The Cycle 2 California ZEV Investment Plan states that “there may be occasions where it would be

reasonable for Electrify America to further education and awareness of ZEVs … by supporting the

programs, activities, or events of an industry or non-profit organization.” In Q1, Electrify America

sponsored a number of organizations to conduct education and outreach activities meeting these

criteria.

In January, Electrify America and EV Noire Mobility Intelligence Consulting Group, a leading EV equity

organization, officially announced a collaboration on the “Drive the Future California” campaign.16 The

campaign seeks to identify and overcome barriers to electrification among African-Americans living in

California, aiming to ensure that underrepresented communities interested in EV adoption have access

to all the financial assistance and case management tools available. To raise EV awareness, the

campaign will showcase a variety of real-world, affordable EV options through storytelling and digital

grassroots engagement.

In March, Electrify America announced $1.6 million in funding for Science, Technology, Engineering and

Math (STEM) Education and workforce development programs relating to zero-emission vehicles.17 The

investment awarded funds to four organizations to develop and launch educational and workforce

training programs to support K-12 and community college students as well as workers through

vocational training in California and across the country. Three of the four recipients – ValleyCAN,

Ecology Action, and the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) – are California-based. These STEM and

16 “Electrify America Collaborates with EV Noire to Advance Electric Vehicle Education and Access in Diverse, African-American Communities in California.” January 14, 2021. https://media.electrifyamerica.com/en-us/releases/126 17 “Electrify America Invests Over $1.6 Million in STEM Programs and Workforce Development to Drive Brand-Neutral Zero

Emission Vehicle Education.” March 1, 2021. https://media.electrifyamerica.com/en-us/releases/131




worker training programs will specifically address the need to educate students on EVs, as well as

provide on-the-job vocational training that will be critical to developing a workforce of future engineers,

software developers, battery technicians, energy management specialists, construction managers and a

wide variety of additional jobs that the industry will have a strong need for as it continues to grow.

Electrify America sponsored Veloz’s development of the Incentive Assistant tool,18 which provides users

with information about available incentives for Level 2 chargers for their homes. The Incentive Assistant

complements the Home Charging Advisor tool developed in 2020, which provides users with

information on available Level 2 chargers, along with total cost estimated based on purchase and

installation. The Incentive Assistant tool entered the testing phase on March 31, 2021 and will be

improved based on user testing and feedback.

Additionally, Electrify America continued sponsorship of Veloz’s “Electric for All” marketing campaign,

which promotes the benefits of electric vehicles. The latest phase of the campaign, titled “40 Million

Reasons to Go Electric,” features Mark Ruffalo, Chloe Bennet, and other local “superheroes” fighting

climate change in California. The campaign aims to deliver 40 million impressions across high-impact

placements on streaming video and digital platforms, and features numerous 15-second videos

featuring each of the climate superheroes.19

3.4. Branded Marketing

In Q1, Electrify America continued its nationwide branded marketing campaign, with the goals of

increasing utilization of Electrify America’s charging infrastructure and awareness of the Electrify

America brand. Branded media activities during the quarter continued as an extension of the “Hello,

Freedom” campaign that launched in the second half of 2020.

In January, the “Hello, Freedom” campaign continued through paid social (Facebook, Instagram &

Snapchat), digital banner ads, digital video & online TV ads, as well as the two largest streaming audio

platforms, Pandora and Spotify.

Paid search on Google and Bing also launched in Q1, driving a total of 12,311 ad impressions and 3,221

user clicks in California. Paid search will continue through the end of the year, and additional media

channels will launch in Q2. Electrify America also developed a series of banners and short videos to

promote the redesigned Electrify America mobile app, which launched in March 2021.

18 The Incentive Assistant tool is available online at https://incentiveassistant.electricforall.org/ 19 More information and video spots for Veloz’s “40 Million Reasons to Go Electric” campaign can be found online at https://www.electricforall.org/campaign/

https://incentiveassistant.electricforall.org/

https://www.electricforall.org/campaign/


4. Cycle 1 Sacramento Green City Initiative

4.1. Introduction

The goals of Electrify America’s Cycle 1 Green City Initiative were to increase ZEV awareness; provide

ZEV access to underserved, low-income and disadvantaged communities; increase use of ZEV technology

to maximize ZEV miles traveled while reducing greenhouse gas emissions; and test the economic

viability of ZEV access initiatives. Electrify America’s Cycle 1 Green City investments were made in

previous years, and in Q1 Electrify America continued to work with the recipients of Electrify America’s

past investment to ensure that Green City investments delivered on their promises.

4.2. Infrastructure

Electrify America designed, permitted, built, and opened DC fast charging stations in the Sacramento

market – consistent with Electrify America’s plan to provide Sacramento with the highest per-capita

density of Electrify America’s DC fast chargers in the nation. In Q1 these stations remained open for use.

They also continued to benefit from Electrify America’s investment in the Energy StorageShares program

developed by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD).20 The program enables SMUD to place

energy storage in grid-stressed locations in Sacramento while providing Electrify America with potential

reductions in demand charges for its SMUD service territory-located sites.

4.3. ZEV Shuttle / Bus

Two ZEV public transit services serving Sacramento continued operation in Q1.

To enable the “Causeway Connection” electric transit bus service from Davis to Sacramento jointly

provided by Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT) and Yolo County Transportation District (YCTD), in

2019 Electrify America fully-funded the purchase and delivery of 12 Proterra E2 Catalyst electric buses.

Electrify America also designed and

built ultra-fast charging stations at

four sites – the SacRT depot, the YCTD

depot, and two on-route locations –

to make this service a reality.

In Q1, the Causeway Connection

provided an estimated 89,000

passenger miles of service, a 6%

increase from the previous quarter.

The innovative “SmaRT Ride” on-demand, micro-shuttle service in the Franklin Boulevard community,

operated by SacRT, provided an estimated 9,600 passenger miles of service during Q1 – approximately a

threefold increase over the previous quarter. Electrify America fully funded the purchase and retrofit of

three GreenPower EV Star shuttles, which were assembled in Porterville, California, to provide this

service.

20 “Electrify America Invests in the SMUD Energy StorageShares Program to Reduce Overall Energy Costs and Lower Company's Draw on Sacramento's Electrical Grid.” January 15, 2020. https://media.electrifyamerica.com/en-us/releases/89

Figure 10 - Causeway Connection Electric Bus



4.4. Car-Sharing Services

Three car-share services – GIG Car Share, the AAA Subscription Service, and Envoy – operated in Q1.

Additional information on car-share service utilization is available in the appendix.

4.4.1. GIG Car Share

GIG Car Share operates a “free-float” car-share service, using its fleet of Chevy Bolts21 funded by

Electrify America. In Q1, the fleet traveled more than 465,000 miles across more than 14,000 separate

trips. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on demand for car-sharing services, but GIG has

diligently modified its offerings in response to customer feedback and demand. As a result, the GIG fleet

utilization now exceeds pre-pandemic levels, with the GIG fleet travelled 57% more miles in Q1 2021

than in Q1 2020.

To accommodate member preferences

identified during the COVID-19 pandemic, GIG

created the Multi-Day Rental (MDR) program,

allowing members to reserve a GIG vehicle for

multiple days in a row. This program reduced

the frequency of vehicle sharing, limiting

opportunities for exposure and increasing

confidence in vehicle rental. GIG continued to

modify the MDR program in Q1, in response to

customer feedback.

4.4.2 Envoy

Envoy operates a residential car-share service at 45 Sacramento properties. Envoy has reached an

agreement with each residential community to provide car-share as an amenity. Electrify America

funded the entire capital cost of the 90 electric cars and 45 charging stations that Envoy uses to provide

this benefit to the Sacramento community, and the service is to be run by Envoy for a minimum of three

years.

Over the course of Q1, 283 active users completed more than 3,400 trips in Envoy vehicles, accounting

for more than 19,000 hours of travel time. Utilization varied from property to property. For example,

one location accounting for 395 trips, while seven locations recorded less than 10 trips in the quarter.

During Q1, Envoy proposed changes to its level of service in Sacramento that would require Electrify

America’s mutual agreement; as of the end of the quarter, no changes had been mutually agreed upon,

and a productive dialogue was ongoing.

4.4.3. AAA Electric Vehicle Subscription

In 2020, AAA launched a “car subscription” program, offering 55 electric vehicles, provided by Electrify

America to AAA at no cost, for short-term subscription rentals in the Sacramento area. Customers

received a 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf delivered to their home with a zero contact experience, and the

21 In the second half of 2020, GIG Car Share transferred ten vehicles from this fleet to AAA Subscription.

Figure 11 - GIG Car Share Service


subscription included insurance, repairs, maintenance and emergency roadside assistance. The e-Golf

fleet was supplemented by 10 Chevrolet Bolts transferred from the GIG car-share program in

Sacramento.

AAA launched the program during the COVID-19 pandemic, which

proved to be a serious barrier to customer adoption. In Q1, the

program served 19 electric car subscribers, who travelled nearly

50,000 electric miles. Seven of these customers participated in the

Affordable Access Program (AAP) for residents of low-income and

disadvantaged communities, through which customers received a

$100 per month discount that lowered the vehicle’s cost to only

about $11 per day. In March, AAA informed Electrify America that

it would be winding down the program at the end of Q2 and

returning the vehicles to Electrify America.

4.5. Disadvantaged and Low-Income Impact

The Electrify America Green City Initiative has prioritized

investments that increase access to ZEV technology in low-income

and disadvantaged communities in Sacramento. As highlighted in

Figure 12, approximately 65% of served census tracts in the GIG

Home Zone are designated as low-income or disadvantaged

communities.

Envoy has continued to focus on low-income and disadvantaged

communities, with 71% of the properties under the program being

located in these areas. Of the 45 total Envoy properties, 32 are in

low-income or disadvantaged communities.

The two ZEV shuttle/bus services also operate in low-income and

disadvantaged communities. The Causeway Connection replaced a

private, limited access bus with a public transit service, and 100%

of this investment is classified as low-income or disadvantaged

under CARB criteria.22 Of the census tracts served by the Franklin Boulevard shuttle service, 84% are

low-income or disadvantaged communities.

22 For CARB criteria, see California Air Resources Board. “Evaluation Criteria for Providing Benefits To Priority Populations: Clean Transportation and Equipment.” https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/cc/capandtrade/auctionproceeds/ccidoc/criteriatable/criteria-table-cte.pdf. In the 2019 Schedule of Creditable Costs, Electrify America did not credit the Causeway Connection investment as an LIC/DAC investment, as the cited CARB criteria have not been independently validated as a basis for cost allocation.

Figure 12 - Impacts on Low-Income and Disadvantaged Communities

https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/cc/capandtrade/auctionproceeds/ccidoc/criteriatable/criteria-table-cte.pdf

https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/cc/capandtrade/auctionproceeds/ccidoc/criteriatable/criteria-table-cte.pdf

2021 q1 report to california air resources board

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