Funded by the California Energy Commission and administered by CALSTART, the Energy Infrastructure Incentives for Zero-Emission Commercial Vehicles (EnergIIZE) Project will open its EV Jump Start funding lane on July 16, 2024, at 9 a.m. and run through Sept. 10, 2024, at 5 p.m. Pacific Time. This funding lane is intended for fleets interested in deploying electric vehicle charging infrastructure for Class 2b-8 vehicles, including school buses.

The EV Jump Start funding lane is one of four standard funding lanes under EnergIIZE, focusing on equity-qualified projects on private, public, or shared-use sites. It covers up to 75% of eligible infrastructure equipment and software costs for projects up to $750,000. Eligible costs include, but are not limited to, Level 2 chargers, direct current fast chargers (DCFC), transformers, switchgear, charger accessories, utility service upgrades, and fleet and demand management software.

The application process is competitive, with applications scored on criteria demonstrating operations and maintenance planning, cost-effectiveness, and community benefit.

Prospective applicants include tribes or tribal-serving entities, small businesses recognized by the California State Legislative Code, minority-owned, woman-owned, veteran-owned, or LGBT-owned businesses, infrastructure installed in a designated disadvantaged or low-income community, public transit systems with at least 50% of routes in a DAC or LIC, public school districts serving economically disadvantaged students, and nonprofit organizations.

Note: EV Jump Start eligibility requirements have changed. Previously, EnergIIZE only accepted one application per tax identification number (TIN). However, the new policy allows single entities, as identified by TIN, to apply for multiple unique project sites, though they cannot be awarded more than 25% of the total funding available for this lane.

"We are thrilled to open EV Jump Start once again to help advance the deployment of EV charging infrastructure across California with a particular focus on equity and community," said Alyssa Haerle, director of infrastructure incentive administration at CALSTART. "We hope these incentives will enable more fleets to make the transition to zero-emission and clean the air in areas that need it most."

Applications will be accepted through an online Incentive Processing Center (IPC) the day the funding lane opens. Potential applicants are encouraged to view the resources on the EnergIIZE website for more information and schedule time with the project team to ask questions about EV Jump Start.