Volkswagen has pledged to spend $2bn over the next decade to promote zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) in the US as part of a legal settlement stemming from the company’s cheating on emissions tests for its diesel cars.
It has set up Electrify America to carry out the work, which will encourage take-up of electric vehicles (EVs) in the early years of its work.
It has announced that it will invest in installing chargers, developing more than 300 stations in 15 metropolitan areas, and a high-speed, cross-country network consisting of more than 200 stations.
In addition, it will increase awareness and foster education about EVs, charging availability, and the benefits of electric mobility through various means such as ride and drives, brand-neutral multi-channel advertising, website, social media, and educational programs.
It will also launch a Green City initiative in a yet-to-be-named California municipality to pilot future concepts of sustainable mobility, such as a ZEV-based shuttle service, EV-based car-sharing program, or ZEV transit application.
Electrify America said it will accomplish its mission in four 30-month investment cycles, and other ZEV initiatives, such as hydrogen fuelling stations or national ZEV car-sharing or ZEV ride-sharing services, will be considered in later investment cycles.
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