Public Electric Vehicle Charger Incentive Pilot Program

Project Contact: Chad Spoon | steven.spoon@sdcounty.ca.gov | (619) 510-2291

Pilot Program

Electric vehicle charging station in a Vons parking lotSource: KPBS

The County of San Diego (County) is developing a new Public Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger Incentive Pilot Program to support the installation of EV charging stations on private property in the unincorporated area. This pilot program will help expand access to EV chargers that are available for public use at locations such as retail parking lots, apartment complexes, and other easily accessible sites.

Through this program, applicants will be able to apply for funding and, if accepted, receive reimbursement for a portion of the EV charger equipment and installation costs.

We are designing the program with community input and drawing on lessons from similar programs. A key goal is to advance equity by prioritizing EV charger installations in disadvantaged, low-income, and frontline communities that have historically lacked access to EV infrastructure.

Public outreach and program development will take place through 2025, and the pilot program is anticipated to open to the public in Spring 2026, with a dedicated website and application information available online.

Please check back here for updates and opportunities to get involved.

Provide Input

We invite you to help shape this effort! We are engaging a diverse group of stakeholders—including County working groups, EV experts, local jurisdictions, community organizations, equity partners, industry representatives, and the public—to ensure the program reflects community priorities and needs. This includes identifying priority locations for charger installations, ensuring accessibility and equity in program design, and understanding potential barriers to participation.

To provide feedback and submit comments on the program, please contact Program Manager, Chad Spoon via email at steven.spoon@sdcounty.ca.gov or by phone at (619) 510-2291.

For past outreach materials, including presentation PDFs, please visit the 2024 CAP page under the Project Documents and Technical Reports section.

Background

The pilot program supports the goals of the County’s 2024 Climate Action Plan and 2019 EV Roadmap to accelerate charger deployment and support EV adoption across the unincorporated area. Action T-3.1 of the CAP sets a target of installing 2,040 publicly accessible EV charging stations by 2028, part of a broader strategy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and support the region’s transition to clean transportation.

On-road transportation is the largest source of GHG emissions in the unincorporated area, accounting for 45% of total emissions in 2019. Increasing access to EV charging and supporting EV adoption represent the single largest projected source of emissions reductions in the CAP, expected to contribute approximately 30% of total reductions by 2030.

In addition to increasing access to EV charging, the County is also exploring complementary strategies through CAP implementation to support broader EV adoption, such as incentive programs, partnerships that reduce upfront costs, and public education. One tool already available is the County’s EV Consumer Guide, which helps residents explore EV options and identify available incentives.

Subscribe to Program Updates

You can receive updates on the Public EV Charger Incentive Pilot Program and other County sustainability initiatives by signing up for email updates.