EV Blueprint Phase II

Overview:

The City of Sacramento’s EV Blueprint project is working to expand access to clean mobility options in underserved neighborhoods across the city.

Expanding access to Electric Vehicles (EVs) in underserved communities is important to address transportation, air quality, and infrastructure-related inequities. It is also an important step for meeting the state’s climate and EV goals of transitioning 100% of new cars to zero-emission vehicles by 2035, helping to reduce the impacts of air pollution in environmental justice communities. Some of the challenges communities currently face to accessing electric vehicles are upfront costs of purchasing an EV, lack of access to residential and public charging infrastructure, and lack of awareness about affordable EVs and programs.

As part of an award from the CA Energy Commission, the City is deploying three distinct types of infrastructure in communities in which the most significant barriers to EV access and adoption persist.

• Level 2 electric vehicle chargers will be installed at 13 libraries, community centers, and parks in the City of Sacramento to provide convenient access for residents who may have challenges charging at their home or work.
• In partnership with the Sacramento Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD), the City will expand the Our Community Car Share Program (OCCS) beginning with a hub at the Colonial Heights Library. Income-qualified residents near the hubs will be able to reserve an electric vehicle for personal use at an affordable rate. The goal is to enhance mobility for households with limited options and introduce residents to the benefits and ease of driving electric vehicles.
• Through a collaboration with the Sacramento Public Library, an electric tricycle (eTrike) lending program was launched in August 2023 at the Colonial Heights Library. Library patrons 18 and older with a valid library card can check out an electric tricycle with cargo capacity for personal use at no charge for up to 1 week. The goal is to introduce the community to electric-assisted cycling as an alternative for short local trips. This project will bring meaningful infrastructure to the 66,000+ residents near the new charging sites and their larger communities and will address mobility needs while improving air quality in our region.

Valley Vision is the project team lead for the “Engagement and Relationship Building” component of the larger EV Blueprint Phase II project, and is supported by subcontractors Frontier Energy, ClimatePlan, and Diysl Consulting. Our role is to engage underserved communities to increase education and awareness of the EV Blueprint project and the new mobility options that are coming to their neighborhoods.

Visit the City’s project page for more information about EV Blueprint implementation and project updates.