Toyota Motor North America, guided by its “Empact” vision to address equitable EV charging and mobility for all, has revealed the first communities that will receive DC fast chargers (DCFC), the communities include Baldwin Park, CA, and Sacramento, CA. According to Toyota, high-power 350kW chargers at each location are to be installed, owned and operated by EVgo and feature simultaneous charging. The California sites are targeted to be operational in 2025.
“Providing ‘Mobility for All’ is our north star as we look to support and facilitate equitable EV charging opportunities for all customers,” said Christopher Yang, group vice president of business development for Toyota Motor North America. “We want to help ensure these underserved communities are not overlooked in the EV transition, and providing support for these charging facilities helps provide access to those who may not have easy access to home or public charging options.”
Toyota said its Clean Assist program, launched in 2021, matches residential customer charging with renewable electricity, helping to reduce emissions generated from charging. In California, this generates revenue from the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), based on battery electric vehicles (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) charging at home. That revenue has been re-invested into transportation electrification in the state, including these chargers.
“Expanding access to public charging infrastructure is critical to our mission of accelerating the mass adoption of EVs,” Dennis Kish, president of EVgo, said. “We are proud to partner with Toyota to build new fast-charging resources that will support the equitable distribution of charging infrastructure in the Golden State.”
The cities receiving DC fast chargers were chosen using the CalEnviroScreen tool and based on certain criteria such as resident income levels, demographics, air quality levels, and areas that have or are expected to have meaningful EV penetration, Toyota said.
In Sacramento, the new 350kW DC fast chargers will be installed near the Arden Fair Mall, a known high-traffic area close to the freeway with multiple options for dining, shopping and other activities. The Baldwin Park charging station will also be centrally located less than a mile off Interstate 10, with access to amenities including a grocery store on-site and many nearby restaurants.
