Updates for the ZEV Equity Task Force

Below are updates for the ZEV Equity Task Force Since the December 2023 Task Force Meeting

Community Tour in Imperial County Coming this Fall

CARB staff are planning a community tour in 2024 for members of the ZEV Equity Task Force. Despite California having the highest sales of ZEVs in the country, rural communities continue to get left behind. In response to the feedback from ZEV Equity Task Force members, the tour is being planned with Comite Civico del Valle and will focus on rural issues in the Imperial Valley. CARB staff will be releasing a survey after the May 30 Task Force meeting to gauge interest in attending this tour.

Workgroups Continue to Meet on Project-specific Basis.

Three workgroups were formed out of the initial May 30, 2023, ZEV Equity Task Force meeting. These workgroups have collectively met 14 times in 2023 to discuss project and policy ideas to increase equitable access to ZEVs. Information on each of the three workgroups can be found at:

Next Steps for The Workgroups

Outreach and Education: Electrify America made a commitment to fund a new education and awareness program focused on low-income and disadvantaged communities in the State. This new program, called the ZEV Equitable Access Program, or “ZEAP,” will provide direct support to community-based organizations working specifically to drive education and awareness within California’s low- income and disadvantaged communities. Electrify America has begun to engage with the Outreach and Education Workgroup to develop program requirements that would be included in a request for proposals to select partners to implement the program. Electrify America also commits up to $500,000 of this funding for programs proposed by the ZEV Equity Task Force and will incorporate those projects into the RFP. This commitment is part of Electrify America’s 4th Cycle ZEV Investment Plan.

Clean Mobility Projects and Incentives: The environmental justice value pathway under the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACCII) ZEV regulation awards values to manufacturers who provide discounts to 2024 and subsequent model year ZEVs purchase for use in community carshare programs. Working collectively, this workgroup has created the Community Mobility Program Connections Directory, a web-based tool to help organizations and OEMs find partners interested in vehicle discounts available through provisions in ACC II. This workgroup’s next project focus will be on mapping ZEV registrations, as described below.

Infrastructure: The California Energy Commission (CEC) serves as California’s lead agency overseeing development of ZEV infrastructure. Participants were directed to existing CEC venues for further engagement in infrastructure-related projects. During these workgroup meetings, CEC briefed Task Force participants on their ongoing efforts to update the ZEV Infrastructure Plan. This plan outlines both state and private sector initiatives aimed at fulfilling statewide charging infrastructure goals, including a section dedicated to sustainable business models. Additionally, the Commission presented their strategies for prioritizing disadvantaged and low-income communities, along with their Community Benefits Framework. This framework is being developed to ensure compliance with the new statutory requirement mandating a 50% investment in disadvantaged and low-income communities and should be released in the Spring of 2024. If Task Force members are interested in engaging further on infrastructure-related projects, CARB staff can connect you to the appropriate CEC venues.

Mapping ZEV Registrations to Show Distribution of ZEVs in California

CARB staff are in the initial process of mapping ZEV vehicle registrations, including the proportion of ZEVs of the total vehicle population, throughout California at the census tract level to identify gaps in overall ZEV market penetration. This will allow us to evaluate the distribution of ZEVs in California to gain a better understanding of ZEV uptake and benefits in underserved communities. CARB staff plan to work with the ZEV Equity Task Force, and specifically the Clean Mobility Projects & Incentives Workgroup, on this mapping project to get input on what parameters would be useful to include in this project.

Advanced Clean Cars II Amendments

CARB is currently developing amendments to its Advanced Clean Cars II program, which reduces emissions from passenger cars and trucks. To help inform these amendments, CARB is partnering with community-based organizations to hold community meetings in areas of the state disproportionally impacted by air pollution to understand their clean transportation needs and priorities. Staff expect to conduct a public workshop on these amendments in the spring/summer of 2024 in the following locations:

May 21, 2024 – Virtual Evening Community Meeting
June 26, 2024 - Virtual Workshop
Dates tbd - In-person in Oxnard, Stockton, Sacramento, and Imperial Valley

Staff expect to bring these amendments to the Board in the summer or fall of 2025. For more information, see the Fact Sheet: California to Propose New Greenhouse Gas Reductions from Passenger Vehicles. Subscribe to our email list to receive updates on this rulemaking. To contact us directly, email cleancars@arb.ca.gov

California Energy Commission Updates

The California Energy Commission has an active solicitation (GFO-23-607) to provide funding for Tribes, Tribal organizations, Tribally owned businesses, and Tribal-authorized applicants for charging infrastructure, ZEV infrastructure planning, and ZEV workforce training and development. The deadline to submit applications has been extended from May 24, 2024, to June 7, 2024.

The California Energy Commission will host a remote-access ZEV Workforce Training and Development Workshop on June 25, 2024, from 9am-noon to discuss active ZEV workforce projects and upcoming opportunities. The workshop will include updates on current programs, highlights of completed projects, an introduction to staff’s draft strategy for ZEV workforce training and development activities funded by the Clean Transportation Program, and workforce development topics for charger maintenance and repair. To participate, please subscribe to the Clean Transportation Program email distribution list to receive the workshop announcement and notifications regarding the draft strategy document. For questions, please contact Jana McKinny at jana.mckinny@energy.ca.gov.

Help CARB Develop Listening Sessions with CARB Executive Office

CARB staff are developing a new program to provide an avenue for community members to provide feedback to CARB’s Executive Office. These would be listening session-style meetings with CARB's Executive Office on topics of interest or concern to Environmental Justice Communities. The objectives are to:

Build trusted relationships between CARB and Communities.
Address Community concerns.
Increase transparency on CARB's work.
Continue to integrate Environmental Justice and Racial Equity into all aspects of CARB's work.

If you are interested in providing input as this program is developed, please contact Maya Steinhart at maya.steinhart@arb.ca.gov.

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