San Bernardino gets grant for new EV charging stations

The city and county of San Bernardino have received a $1.4 million grant from the Southern California Association of Governments for 16 new electric vehicle charging stations, officials announced last week.

The new EV chargers, which are planned to be powered by on-site solar panels, will be near Baseline Street at the Arrowhead Grove Housing Community.

“We see more EV’s on our roads every day,” San Bernardino Mayor Helen Tran said in a statement. “It is important that charging stations are available to people who live in apartments and condos in addition to single family homes. This project helps us do that.”

The project calls for the installation of four fast charging stations, 12 standard charging stations and 32 additional EV-ready spaces for adding future chargers as demand for them increases. The new charging stations will be a component of the next phase of housing construction at Arrowhead Grove, a 40-acre complex with market rate and affordable housing.

“We are thrilled that the project was selected to receive a $1.4 million funding award through SCAG’s Carbon Reduction Program,” Maria Razo, executive director of the San Bernardino County Housing Authority, said in a statement. “The strategic placement of these new stations means that they will be able to serve both the residents of Arrowhead Grove and this entire area of San Bernardino. We are proud to partner with the City of San Bernardino in bringing this feature to the community.”

The funding for the EV chargers is a part of SCAG’s $92 million Carbon Reduction Program, which funds projects in Southern California between 2023 and 2026, according to city officials. The San Bernadino County Transit Agency submitted a grant proposal to regional association of governments.

Officials described Arrowhead Grove as “a vibrant, mixed use, mixed income sustainable community that occupies a site that used to be the 1940’s era public housing project known as Waterman Gardens.” The housing complex is in its fourth phase of construction and will have 534 housing units, commercial space, an on-site Head Start program, a community center and health care clinic.

The EV charger installation was expected to start early next year with a completion goal of June 2026.