California: $28m in funding for public EV fast chargers
The State of California has opened a new $28 million funding round for its existing Fast Charge California Project. This will see it offer up to $100,000 per charging port for DC fast chargers, with applications due to close on 14 January 2027.
Image: Unsplash/ Andrew Valdivina
On October 7, applications for this new funding round opened to businesses, non-profit organisations, public agencies and other site owners installing publicly accessible DC chargers. Successful applicants will be able to claim incentives covering up to 100 per cent of eligible installation costs for projects that are ‘ready to build’ at the point of submission – i.e. they must have all necessary permits and a final utility service design in place.
Once the application window closes on 14 January next year, the available funds will be reserved in the order that eligible applications were received. Officials have stated that projects in disadvantaged, low-income and tribal communities will be prioritised. A subsequent application window will then open on 24 February 2027 and run until May 2027; this will offer only up to $55,000 per charging port, instead of $100,000.
Spencer Reeder, director of CEC’s Fuels and Transportation Division, explained: “California needs reliable fast charging in communities across the state to support the growing number of electric vehicles on the road. This next round of Fast Charge California Project funding will help move ready-to-build projects forward, expand access to public charging and put state investments to work in communities that have historically had fewer charging options.”
This latest funding round is part of the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP), which has supported more than 10,000 charger installations across the state since 2017. The CEC says California now has more than 2.2 million ‘light-duty’ EVs. It follows an earlier Fast Charge California round launched in 2025, which offered $55 million towards publicly accessible DC fast chargers. That programme also covered up to 100 per cent of eligible costs, with incentives of up to $100,000 per port for chargers rated above 275 kW.
Elsewhere, California continues to expand its wider charging investment programme. In August, the CEC approved $95.2 million in new Clean Transportation Programme funding, including $48 million for light-duty EV charging infrastructure and a further $30.2 million for medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicle infrastructure.