Electric vehicles

Climate Action Plan


Menlo Park has a goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2030. The transportation sector is by far the community’s biggest source of carbon emissions, at 55% of the total. Among many goals outlined in the Menlo Park’s 2030 Climate Action Plan, two of them are transportation-specific to increase electric vehicle (EVs) sales and to decrease gasoline sales. This can be achieved by promoting (a) all new vehicles to be electric by 2025 and (b) reduce gasoline sales by 10 percent a year from a 2018 baseline. To encourage driving electric vehicles is a great way to work towards achieving carbon neutrality.

​Benefits


  1. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality

    The transportation sector is the one of the primary source of greenhouse (GHG) gas emissions nationwide, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. More specifically within that sector, passenger cars and light-duty trucks account for more than 50 percent of GHG emissions as of 2018. On a more local scale, City of Menlo Park’s GHG inventory from 2017 indicates the community’s transportation sector makes up 55 percent of the City’s total GHG emissions. These emissions are harmful to the environment because it traps heat inside the atmosphere and causes the planet to be warmer. This is also known as climate change. 
    To help fight climate change and improve the air quality, consider switching to a more fuel efficient vehicle, such as all-electric vehicles. They do not emit GHG and don’t even have a tailpipe. An EV uses battery and an electric motor to replace the gasoline tank and internal combustion engine. These vehicles only use electricity as its fuel source.

    Many consumers worry about running out of batteries before reaching their destination. This is known as range anxiety. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) or hybrid EV may reduce the range anxiety because they use both gasoline and electricity as fuel sources.
     
  2. Save money

    When compared to owning a gasoline vehicle:
    • Driving electric cuts fuel costs by 60%, which is equivalent to saving approximately $800 to $1,000 a year
    • EV owners save between $6,000 and $10,000 in total ownership cost, which includes the purchase price, fueling costs, and maintenance expenses
    • There are many rebates and incentives available to encourage EV ownership
Consumers may use the vehicle cost calculator to learn more about their total cost of ownership and the amount of GHG produced. Consumer Reports states the EV price may lower as the battery prices and technology improves and as more models become readily available on the market. 

Achieve energy independence


​Fuel on your own time: at home, at work, or while you sleep. Unlike gasoline cars, which can only be fueled at gas stations, EVs can be fueled wherever there is electricity. 

All EVs come with a charger that plugs into a regular household 110-volt outlet. If you have access to an electrical outlet, you can add 40 to 60 miles of charge to your car every night while you sleep. An overnight charge is more than enough for most commutes. 

List of public EV chargers


  • 4 - 701 Laurel St. (City Hall)
  • 2 - 1010 Alma St.
  • 4 - 1198 Crane St.
Plugshare and Chargepoint maps indicate charger types and availability in Menlo Park and neighboring cities. 

Ongoing projects


Informational resources


Federal and state resources


Local resources