Calabasas Opens Two New Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

CALABASAS, CA — If you ever need a minute to recharge your batteries, head on over to Calabasas. That isn’t just because of its beautiful, restorative scenery: last week, the city added two more electric vehicle charging stations at the parking lot of the Calabasas Tennis & Swim Center.

The two new stations, funded entirely by grants from the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) and the Southern California Incentive Project (SCIP), mean the city now has eight charging stations, one of the highest in the area. “Our goal is to have as many electric vehicle charging stations as possible,” Calabasas Mayor Alicia Weintraub said. “Anecdotally, we’ve heard that it’s one of the highest electric vehicle areas per capita.”

Residents have enthusiastically advocated for charging stations, according to Weintraub and Environmental Services Supervisor Alex Farassati. Over the past few years, the City has opened one station outside City Hall, two in De Anza Park, and two downtown. The City plans to open more in a “smart park” parking lot planned to open later this year on Las Virgenes Road near the 101 and the beginning of the Juan Bautista De Anza Historic Trailhead.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was originally planned to welcome the two newest stations, but that was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.

In all instances, the City was able to receive grants that cover the entire cost of installation. The two most recent stations cost $125,000, $55,000 of which was provided by the MSRC (a state government branch aiming to reduce motor vehicle air pollution in Southern California) and $70,000 of which was provided by SCIP (another state initiative to increase electric vehicle usage.) The De Anza stations were funded by EVgo, America’s largest public electric vehicle charging network that manages electrical power for all of the city’s sites, while the City Hall stations were funded by the Southern California Air Quality Management District, a state agency regulating air pollution in Southern California.

To use the charging stations, drivers will need to pay a fee through EVgo, which manages the power for of the city’s stations in every location except downtown, which is operated by ChargePoint.