Newsom signs six bills to speed EV chargers, expand choice and consumer information

Governor Gavin Newsom on September 20, 2026 signed six bills intended to speed electric-vehicle charger deployment, expand consumer choice, and increase transparency for zero-emission truck incentives; the Office of the Governor published the announcement.

The signed measures are SB 969 (Reyes), SB 1283 (Ashby), AB 1820 (Schiavo), SB 1213 (Reyes), SB 1267 (Allen) and SB 615 (Allen); the governor’s press release summarizes each bill’s focus.

The press release describes the bills as follows: SB 969 modernizes inspection rules so manufacturer-tested public chargers can open faster while retaining safeguards; SB 1283 extends streamlined permitting to related work such as trenching, electrical upgrades, solar canopies and battery storage; AB 1820 reduces permitting barriers and fees for chargers at apartments and mixed-use developments to expand access for renters; SB 1213, SB 1267 and SB 615 increase transparency in state incentives for zero-emission trucks, help homeowners association residents access EV charging, and require clearer EV battery information for consumers, respectively.

The Office of the Governor frames the package as cutting red tape and reducing dependence on global oil markets; the release attributes rising pump prices to foreign conflicts and to then-President Donald Trump’s policies. That political context is the administration’s interpretation; the press release does not supply independent analysis quantifying how the new laws will affect pump prices or oil dependence.

The release ties the bills to existing state programs and spending. It says MyFirstEV offers instant rebates of up to $3,500 for qualifying new zero-emission vehicles and up to $1,750 for qualifying used vehicles; the program is supported by a $135.5 million state investment that the release says is matched dollar-for-dollar by participating automakers, creating $271 million in point-of-sale savings. The release also cites a broader $600 million investment in California’s affordable clean-vehicle efforts and lists related programs including Clean Cars 4 All, the Clean Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project, and the Carl Moyer Program.

The administration supplied statewide charging and sales figures in the release; it states California has more than 216,445 public and shared charging plugs, including more than 20,000 DC fast-charging ports. It reports the California Energy Commission allocated $98.5 million in light-duty ZEV infrastructure funding for fiscal year 2025–26. The release also says California has recorded more than 2.7 million cumulative zero-emission vehicle sales and that in the second quarter of 2026 Californians purchased 86,857 new ZEVs, representing 19.1% of new vehicle sales.

What the release does not specify: expected timelines for implementation of the new permitting and inspection rules; estimated numbers of chargers that will be accelerated into service; projected impacts on charger availability, electricity demand or emissions; or independent cost–benefit estimates. Those outcomes will depend on rulemaking, local implementation and utility and private-sector follow-through.

For more information the governor’s office directs readers to electricforall.org; the statements and figures above are taken from the Office of the Governor’s September 20, 2026 news release.

See something we should correct? Read our corrections policy.