California Air Resources Board

The Volkswagen (VW) Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Investment Commitment (Commitment) requires VW subsidiary Electrify America to invest $800 million in California to address the adverse impacts to California’s ZEV program resulting from the sale of VW diesel vehicles equipped with emissions defeat devices to consumers who believed they were purchasing clean vehicles.  The Commitment is a component of partial settlements with VW and is enumerated in the first Partial Consent Decree as Appendix C and will be carried out in four consecutive 30-month $200 million ZEV Investment Plans.  Under the Commitment, Electrify America will invest in the following categories of qualified projects: ZEV fueling infrastructure (for both electric- and hydrogen-powered cars), brand-neutral consumer awareness campaigns that will help grow the ZEV vehicle market, and projects such as car-sharing programs that will increase access to ZEVs for all consumers in California, including those in low-income and disadvantaged communities. These projects will support the next generation of California ZEVs, helping to grow the state’s burgeoning ZEV program and lay the foundation for achieving the State’s air quality and climate change goals.

As required by the Consent Decree, Electrify America must develop, and California must approve the ZEV Investment Plans (Plan) through an extensive public process.  The Board approved the Cycle 1 Plan, covering the period January 1, 2017 – June 30, 2019 in July 2017. The Board approved the Cycle 2 Plan, covering the period July 1, 2019 – December 31, 2021 in December 2018.  Each of the two approved Plans describes the eligible investments to be made during the Plan periods.  Senate Bill (SB) 92, passed in June 2017, directs CARB to strive to ensure that at least 35 percent of Electrify America’s investments benefit low-income or disadvantaged communities that are disproportionately impacted by air pollution.  The two approved Plans propose spending that exceeds that target.

Implementation of the Cycle 1 and Cycle 2 Plans are now underway.  Public meetings and documents will be posted here as they become available.