BEVERLY HILLS—The Beverly Hills City Council approved revisions to the City’s Electric Vehicle (EV) charging policy to ensure that it complies with the new California law.

According to a press release from the city of Beverly Hills website, Senate Bill 1000, currently in effect, prohibits cities from restricting hybrid vehicles from connecting to EV charging stations.

“Existing law requires a city, county, or city and county to approve an application for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations, as defined, through the issuance of specified permits unless the city or county makes specified written findings. Existing law provides that the implementation of consistent statewide standards to achieve the timely and cost-effective installation of electric vehicle charging stations is a matter of statewide concern.

This bill would prohibit a city, county, or city and county from restricting which types of electric vehicles may access an electric vehicle charging station approved for passenger vehicles that both is publicly accessible and the construction of which was funded, at least in part, by the state or through moneys collected from ratepayers,” states Senate Bill 1000.

Beverly Hills had been restricting access to charging stations to Battery Only Electric Vehicles (BOEVs), commonly referred to as ZEVs (Zero Emission Vehicles). The bill adds that:

““Electric vehicle charging station” means any level of electric vehicle supply equipment station that is designed and built in compliance with Article 625 of the California Electrical Code…and that delivers electricity from a source outside an electric vehicle into a plug-in electric vehicle.”

The newly adopted policy allows for any electric vehicle (Hybrid-Gas/Electric, Full Electric, or Hybrid-Hydro/Electric) to utilize charging stations throughout Beverly Hills.

For more details about Electric Vehicles in the city of Beverly Hills, visit www.beverlyhills.org/ev or contact Public Works Customer Service at 310-285-2467 or AskPw@beverlyhills.org.