Electrify Your Drive

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In Palo Alto, 1 in 5 households drive an Electric Vehicle (EV) – the highest adoption rate in the country. There are more models to choose from than ever before with improved range and at various price points. With lower maintenance and fueling costs, EVs are cheaper to own than a fossil fuel vehicle. The transition is happening here and now. Take advantage of the various incentives available today making EVs and EV charging equipment more affordable. Furthermore, driving and charging an EV in Palo Alto especially makes sense given the City's carbon neutral electricity supply and low electric retail rates.

Additional Resources

Incentives

Join the EV Revolution

Let us guide and support you when navigating the transition from a fossil fuel vehicle to an EV. Our EV webpages include information on choosing and comparing vehicles and installing charging equipment. Rebates for installing EV charging equipment are available for schools, non-profits and multi-family properties.  If installing EV charging infrastructure requires these properties to upgrade electric service capacity, CPAU offers Transformer Upgrade Rebates, which are also available for single-family homes. 

For general EV or EV charger questions, contact Utilities Program Services at (650) 329-2241
For permit related questions, contact Development Services at (650) 329-3496
For utility service upgrade questions, contact Utilities Electrical Engineering at (650) 566-4500

No Charging at Home? No Problem!

100+ City-owned Chargers Available Overnight Without Overstay Fees

Starting August 1, 2021 the City will be removing a $2 per hour overstay fee at our City-owned charging stations to allow for overnight (5pm - 8am) parking. With this change, the City is attempting to make it easier to drive electric by providing more convenient access to charging for residents and members of the public who may not have access to charging at home. The current $0.23 per kWh charge will remain in effect, but after your car is fully charged, there will no longer be an overstay fee. 

Click on a pin to learn more about the EV Charging Stations available in Palo Alto and the surrounding regions.

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Find your EV and Incentives with Electric for All

Use the Electric for All EV finder to search over 60 different models of EVs. You can filter your search by cost, vehicle type, and size and compare up to three cars side by side to find your ideal match.

Utilize the “Search for Incentives” tool to see what EV incentives are available to you. You can search tax credits, rebates, charging station incentives, and more.

 

News & Updates

100+ City-owned Chargers Available Overnight Without Overstay Fees

Starting August 1, 2021 the City will be removing a $2 per hour overstay fee at our City-owned charging stations to allow for overnight (5pm - 8am) parking. With this change, the City is attempting to make it easier to drive electric by providing more convenient access to charging for residents and members of the public who may not have access to charging at home. The current $0.23 per kWh charge will remain in effect, but after your car is fully charged, there will no longer be an overstay fee. 

Publicly Accessible City-owned EV Chargers as of August 2021:

Location

Number of Level 2 Ports

Bryant St. Parking Garage 445 Bryant Street

13

Cambridge Parking Garage 475 Cambridge Ave.

10

City Hall Parking Garage 250 Hamilton Ave.

12

High St. Parking Garage 528 High Street

8

Mitchell Park Library 3700 Middlefield Road

3

Palo Alto Junior Museum

6

Rinconada Library 1213 Newell Road

3

Sherman Parking Garage 350 Sherman Ave.

33

Ted Thompson Parking Garage 275 Cambridge Ave.

8

Webster St. Parking Garage 520 Webster Street

20

TOTAL

116 Ports

 

EV Charger Rebates for Multi-User Sites

CPAU is now offering a rebate of up to $80,000 for the installation of EV Chargers at eligible sites, including schools, and multifamily properties.

To learn more, visit our EV Chargers for Organizations page.

Rebates for EV Charging Installations at Nonresidential Sites

The City of Palo Alto is participating in a CALeVIP (California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project), investing up to $2 million to install hundreds of electric charging stations over the next three years.

Visit the CALeVIP webpage to learn more about the program.