The key to maintaining the nation’s growing appetite for electric vehicles is a charging network that expands at the same pace.

Two states on opposite coasts announced they are taking steps to support their growing EV markets by investing in incentive programs for chargers.

On Jan. 12, 2023, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities announced that it has opened the application process for the Medium- and Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicle Charging Program. It will offer incentives to support the purchase of eligible DC fast charger (DCFC) EV equipment in the state. Incentives will be offered for public and private charging equipment.

Community charging grants will offer up to $225,000 for the installation of 150-kilowatt (kW) or greater dual-port, networked DCFC and make-ready publicly available chargers.

Private fleet charging grants will offer $175,000 toward the purchase and installation of 150-kW or greater dual-port, networked DCFC and make-ready chargers.

In addition to helping the state meet its air quality and transportation electrification goals, the program is also designed to assist small, local businesses in gaining access to EV charging equipment and to ensure the equitable build-out of charging infrastructure throughout the state.

On the other side of the country, California has launched its own incentive program. On Jan. 24, the California Energy Commission (CEC) announced the opening of a $30 million incentive project to help businesses, nonprofits, public entities and tribes fund the installation of EV chargers. The program targets disadvantaged and low-income communities in 30 counties across the state.

The Golden State Priority Project provides rebates for purchasing and installing eligible DCFCs capable of at least a 150-kW guaranteed power output at each active connector.

Incentives under the program are available for project sites in the eastern and central regions of California, which represent the less-populous and less-affluent counties in the state. Eligible applicants can qualify for rebates up to $100,000 per connector or up to 50% of their project’s total approved costs, capped at $100,000 per active connector. Funding is only available for sites located in census tracts designated as a disadvantaged or low-income community.

The CEC emphasizes the good timing of the project, noting that EVs currently account for nearly 19% of all new car sales in California.

In August 2022, state lawmakers made headlines when they banned the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles starting in 2035.