Plug-in hybrids in front of San Francisco City Hall. (Photo: Tim Hurst)

On the first sunny day in the Bay Area in nearly a week, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in front of San Francisco City Hall, in another step forward in making the Bay Area the “EV Capital of the U.S.”

The high-profile charging stations are part of a nine-step policy plan announced back in November by Mayor Newsom, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, to transform the Bay Area into the “Electric Vehicle (EV) Capital of the U.S.”

To commemorate the day at Green Options Media, not only did we have swarm coverage of the event, we were also fortunate to have Mayor Newsom write an article for us about the future of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in the Bay Area. Read San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom’s guest post at gas2.0.

Addressing members of the media, Newsom said, “Electric vehicles are the future of transportation and the Bay Area is the testing ground for the technology,” adding that the city began using plug-in hybrids in the city’s fleet last year. “Now, for the first time the public can plug-in to the next generation of cars and take them for a drive in San Francisco,” the Mayor said.

According to Newsom, the city will use tax breaks to promote sales of electric vehicles and encourage homes and businesses to make charging stations widely available. The city will also look at ways to speed up the permitting process to install charging outlets at homes and businesses.

The Mayor’s plan dovetails with that of President Barack Obama who has emphasized smartening the electric grid and adapting our transportation infrastructure.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allocates $2 billion in grants for manufacturing advanced batteries, plus tax credits to cover the cost of manufacturing facilities; it also provides tax credits of up to $7,500 for those who buy new plug-in electric vehicles; sets aside $300 million for federal agencies to buy alternatively-fueled vehicles, $400 million for “transportation electrification,” and another $4.5 billion for improving the nation’s electric grid.

Images: Tim Hurst