California now has 178,549 public and shared private EV chargers – hitting a major milestone with 48% more chargers statewide than gas nozzles.

Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA), who made the announcement, said:

As the federal government works to make it harder for you to charge your electric car, California is doing the opposite. We now have nearly 50% more chargers than gas nozzles in the state, meaning you have more options than ever to charge your vehicle.

We’re embracing our clean car future and providing consumers more choices – no matter what ‘big government’ mandates come out of Washington.

The California Energy Commission (CEC) estimates about 120,000 gas nozzles in the state, compared to 178,000 public and shared private EV chargers.

That includes more than 162,000 Level 2 and nearly 17,000 DC fast chargers, and that doesn’t count the estimated 700,000-plus Level 2 chargers in single-family homes, according to the CEC.

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The new charger totals released yesterday reflect the CEC’s improved data-tracking efforts, tapping into additional sources to get a clearer picture of operational chargers statewide. Of the 73,537 chargers added to the data set in 2024, nearly 38,000 are newly installed, while the other 35,554 were already plugged in before 2024 but just recently identified.

California approved a $1.4 billion investment plan in December to expand zero-emission transportation infrastructure. The plan funds projects like the Fast Charge California Project, which has earmarked $55 million of funding to install DC fast chargers at businesses and publicly accessible locations. The project is part of the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP), the US’s largest EV charging incentive initiative. 

Read more: London is getting 570 ‘flat and flush’ sidewalk EV chargers

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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Tesla hate going biblical, BYD coming out swinging with new record charging time, the new Renault 5 Turbo 3E, and more.

The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.

As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.

After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:

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Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:

Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):

The R1T is more than your average pickup truck. Rivian calls it an “Adventure Vehicle” for a reason. After Rivian’s R1T braved sun-scorched trials in Australia and sub-zero temps in North America, mining equipment specialist MEVCO claims one thing clear — “the R1T is built for extremes.”

Rivian R1T is a mining-ready EV pickup truck

Nobody said mining was easy. Or clean, for that matter. But MEVCO looks to change that. Founded in 2022, the company is on a mission to transform the mining industry.

MEVCO not only offers electric vehicles like the Rivian R1T but also works with its clients worldwide to implement end-to-end EV solutions complete with charging, maintenance, and specialized training.

The mining specialist has been testing Rivian’s R1T and Electric Commercial Van since last year. In an update this week, MEVCO gave us a closer look at the electric truck in action. The R1T braved “the soaring heat of the desert to the biting cold of North America” to ensure the mine-ready EV pickup was up to the task.

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Apparently, Rivian’s truck was ready. MEVCO said on social media, “This proves one thing loud and clear – the R1T is built for extremes,” with a few new photos of the decked-out neon green R1T.

The company currently has multiple teams on the road in Australia, Canada, and the US, working on both underground and surface operations.

After a recent two-day, over 1,000 mile (1,670 km) long trip across Australia, MEVCO said it “proved why the future of mining is electric, safe, and sustainable.”

MEVCO offers the Gen 2 Rivian R1T Dual Motor model in Dual Standard (LFP) and Dual Max (NCA) powertrains. Both have up to 533 horsepower and 610 lb-ft of torque. Powered by a 97 kWh LFP battery, the Dual Standard has 258 miles WLTP range, while the Dual Max gets up to 370 miles (WLTP) from a 149-kWh NCA battery pack.

With up to 14.7″ of ground clearance, the R1T can plow through three feet of water and tow up to 11,000 lbs (Dual Max).

MEVCO upgraded the R1T for mining, including a custom Rivian-designed front bar with vehicle sensors (sidebars are also available), a 12V Isolator, Antenna, Beacon, Mine Bar, and more. For more on the mining-ready R1T and what the company is doing to help revolutionize the industry, check out MEVCO’s website.