Southern California Edison launches $436M EV infrastructure plan

Southern California Edison (SEC) launched a new program called Charge Ready, which officials say is the largest electric passenger vehicle charging infrastructure program in the nation run by an investor-owned electric utility company.

The $436 million Charge Ready program will add approximately 38,000 new electric car chargers throughout Southern California Edisonʻs service area over the next five years. SCE will install and maintain the EV charging infrastructure while site hosts, who are non-residential SCE customers, typically own, operate, and maintain qualified charging stations.

“As SCE is preparing its electric grid to serve the increase in transportation electrification, more charging equipment is needed to give EV drivers and fleet operators the peace of mind that they will be able to charge whenever they want,” Carter Prescott, SCE director of eMobility and Building Electrification, said. “Today, we are asking our customers to join with us to ensure that an effective framework is in place for a clean air future for our communities.”

The launch follows a successful pilot program that concluded in May, when SCE added more than 2,700 charge ports at almost 150 sites, working in conjunction with local businesses, governments, and other organizations.

The Charge Ready program will locate 50 percent of the chargers in state-designated disadvantaged communities or communities that suffer most from air pollution.

Last year, SCE launched Charge Ready Transport, a $356 million program for larger trucks, buses, and off-road industrial equipment. It calls for the installation of 8,490 medium- and heavy-duty EVs over a five-year period.

Southern California Edison serves approximately 15 million customers throughout Central, Coastal, and Southern California.