In April 2019, the County Board of Supervisors (Board) provided direction for staff to develop an Electric Vehicle (EV) Roadmap with strategies for increasing the number of vehicles converted to EV and development of new charging infrastructure throughout the unincorporated county. In October 2019, the Board approved the EV Roadmap which presents six goals for increasing EV ownership and electric vehicle charging infrastructure throughout the unincorporated county. Implementation of the EV Roadmap helps the County achieve CAP GHG emissions reduction targets as well as guides the county to meet state vehicle and charging infrastructure goals over the next decade. Multiple county departments have begun implementing the EV Roadmap, which received a 2020 Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACo).

In 2020, the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District, San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), and the California Energy Commission launched the CALeVIP incentive program to fund publicly-accessible EV charging stations within the San Diego County area.

The County's EV charger installation permitting system is considered streamlined and compliant with Assembly Bill 1236 according to the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development. As part of this designation, unincorporated community residents can quickly and easily obtain a permit online for residential EV charging stations. This online service was developed by the Department of Planning & Development Services in 2018 and received an Achievement Award from NACo in 2019. CALeVIP and SANDAG have recognized the County as a “Permitting Best Practice” and as a model across the state.

In 2022, Planning & Development Services completed the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Planning Analysis (EVI Planning Analysis) which provides a comprehensive assessment that helps in identifying priority locations for public EV charging stations in the unincorporated area and at County facilities.

A total of 56 publicly accessible EV chargers were installed at County facilities, with 10 additional charging stations added in 2022. The charging stations include 54 Level II chargers and two Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFC) charging stations.

The County expects to achieve a reduction of 11,987 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 through the increased use of electric vehicles in the unincorporated area. Emissions reductions are calculated based on the difference between emissions generated from fossil fuel powered vehicle travel compared to emissions generated from electricity-charged vehicles.

State targets and market conditions indicate thousands more electric vehicles will be on the road by 2030. Charging infrastructure must be put in place to support large-scale transportation electrification. Accelerating the regional installation of EV chargers makes it more attractive for people to drive an EV, by ensuring electric vehicle drivers have access to charging stations in convenient locations without the worry of running out of range. When coupled with the County’s efforts to achieve 90% of electricity generation from renewable sources within the unincorporated county by 2030, the driving, charging, and operating an EV could become emission-free in a decade.