June 6, 2025 #1 Local News, Information and Event Source for the Century City/Westwood areas.

VIDEO: Gov. Jerry Brown, Business Leaders Celebrate New Plug-In Electric Vehicle Investments In Century City

Governor Jerry Brown flanked by California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Collaborative Executive Director Christine Kehoe and, from right, Dennis McGinn, assistant secretary of the Navy; David Pogue, global director of Corporate Responsibility CBRE; Steve Center, vice president of Environmental Business Development at Honda; and Pedro Pizarro, president of Southern California Edison. Photos by Mariella Rudi.
Gov. Jerry Brown flanked by California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Collaborative Executive Director Christine Kehoe and, from right, Dennis McGinn, assistant secretary of the Navy; David Pogue, global director of Corporate Responsibility CBRE; Steve Center, vice president of Environmental Business Development at Honda; and Pedro Pizarro, president of Southern California Edison. Photos by Mariella Rudi.

A sunny and windy morning was the perfect climate to praise renewable energy in Century City and the rest of California during the second annual Drive the Dream 2015 with the California Plug-In Electric Vehicle (PEV) Collaborative, Gov. Jerry Brown, and a diverse group of more than 40 California corporate leaders, public sector partners, and industry leaders.

They all met at Century Park to announce new commitments and initiatives aimed at accelerating the continued adoption of plug-in electric vehicles and workplace charging in California.

“This is really good because it’s business, it’s government, it’s people – that’s what California is all about,” Brown said, “with only 1 percent of the emissions that are harming the planet, we have 15 percent of the plug-in vehicles and we’re going to do a lot better and keep on going. But we want to spread it around. What we have here in California is something really important – it’s the benign combination of entrepreneurial innovation and smart regulation. The regulation in many cases drives the innovation.”

Under Gov. Brown’s leadership, California has set the most aggressive clean transportation goals in the country, including creating a charging network to handle 1 million electric vehicles by 2020.  Businesses and public sector partners have been busy coming up with programs and policies to promote workplace charging, fleet vehicles, and provide incentives to employees for the purchase of PEVs.

“And we’re looking at all these vehicles that are the product in many respects of California’s leadership,” Brown said of the 12 new cars on display at Drive the Dream 2015, including the Chevrolet Volt, Tesla Model S, Kia Soul EV, Mercedes Benz B-Class Electric Drive, Nissan LEAF, BMW i3, Ford C-Max Energi, Honda Fit EV and Toyota Mirai. Also on display were the latest plug-in technologies from NRG and ChargePoint, an EV fleet vehicle from PG&E and electric bikes by Motiv Electric Bikes, among other sponsor exhibits.

The star of the cars, however, was an orange Chevrolet Bolt EV concept car, which will go on sale in California in 2018.

Significant new investments by companies and public sector partners that were announced at the event included the expansion of vehicle charging stations, purchase of PEVs in fleets, and employee incentive programs to help increase investment in California, add jobs, improve air quality and reduce reliance on oil.

“So we have a big task out there, and let us never forget that we are importing 70 percent of oil,” Brown continued. “A lot of it is coming from very unstable and dangerous places. People in Los Angeles, remember: just a few months ago, your gasoline prices spiked. The sun doesn’t blow hot and cold. It continues to shine and as it does, it charges up our solar collectors, the wind blows, it charges up our electric stations, and that’s the combination. We’re making it California-centric.

Gov. Jerry Brown learned about the Chevrolet Bolt EV concept car, which will go on sale in California in 2018
Gov. Jerry Brown learned about the Chevrolet Bolt EV concept car, which will go on sale in California in 2016.

“So this is a California first. We’re going to hire local people to deal with all these issues of charges and repairing the automobile, parking, and the buildings, and all the rest of it, including renewable energy because to have an electric car, it’s crucial that the electricity is coming from the wind and solar and other renewable sources. So this is a very happy day, a very creative combination of government, of business, of intellectual research, and entrepreneurs willing to risk their money.”

Among the announced investments and commitments was the Department of the Navy, which announced plans to lease of more than 450 electric vehicles to replace gas-powered vehicles at Navy and Marine Corps bases across California. Honda announced it is adding 120 new electric vehicle chargers on its Torrance, Calif., headquarters campus.

NBCUniversal announced it has invested in 64 charging spaces across its property in support of employees and guests who drive electric vehicles. And Vision Fleet announced a goal to work with corporate, government, and other innovative fleets in California to deploy 2,000 PEVs in the state by the end of 2016.

From public energy and water, PG&E announced it will invest $35 million for new chargers, workplace incentives, and expand its corporate PEV fleet. And Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) announced it will purchase and lease 157 plug-in vehicles (117 Volts and 40 LEAFs) and EV chargers to support the vehicles. LADWP will also make many of these fleet chargers available to its employees as workplace chargers, and they plan to install 104 public chargers on city property, an investment of $5.5 million. Finally, Southern California Edison announced that over the next 12 months it is installing an additional 50 level 1 and 2 fleet charging stations to supplement existing 340 charging stations that support its current fleet vehicles and future fleet acquisitions, and it will acquire an additional 36 Plug-in EV (PEV) fleet vehicles, an approximate $4.5 million investment. It is also installing an additional 25 level 1 and 2 workplace charging stations at Edison facilities.

“This is a place of innovation. It’s not the ordinary way, but it’s the way of the future,” Brown concluded.

For more information about Drive The Dream 2015 visit pevcollaborative.org/drivethedream.

Related Posts

(Video) See How CO2 Laser Treatment Removes Wrinkles and Scars

June 5, 2025

June 5, 2025

To Book an Appointment, Go to Mirrormirrormedspa.com To Book an Appointment, Go to https://t.co/GQ7DNcGw8E pic.twitter.com/OdAVVpLIcw — CCNewsLA (@CCWNNews) June 5,...

Film Review: Dangerous Animals

June 4, 2025

June 4, 2025

By Dolores Quintana There’s nothing quite like a good shark horror movie, especially since we are heading into summer. With...

Erewhon and LGBTQ Singer Kali Uchis Serve Summer Smoothie for a Good Cause

June 4, 2025

June 4, 2025

The Sincerely Smoothie Blends Passionfruit, Pitaya, and Malk Coconut Milk LGBTQ singer Kali Uchis has teamed up with Erewhon to...

Levain Bakery and Wanderlust Creamery Team Up for a Sweet Cause This Saturday

June 4, 2025

June 4, 2025

Lily Rosenthal and Chef Mason Royal Host a Cookie & Ice Cream Celebration Larchmont’s Levain Bakery will host a community...

Vietnamese Street Food Pop-Up ‘Little C’ Returns to Crustacean for Limited Lunch Series

June 4, 2025

June 4, 2025

After a Sold-Out Debut, the Fan-Favorite Phở-Forward Concept Reopens  Following a sold-out debut, the Vietnamese street food concept “Little C”...

Fogo de Chão Unveils Fiery Off-Menu Cocktail, the Paper Flame

June 4, 2025

June 4, 2025

Tequila-Based Drink Features a Dramatic Tableside Presentation Fogo de Chão has unveiled its first-ever secret cocktail, the Paper Flame, an...

Marelle Launches ‘The Guest List’ With Renowned Chefs and Friends Alan Wong and Raphael Lunetta

June 4, 2025

June 4, 2025

Santa Monica’s New Chef Series Debuts With a Culinary Celebration of California and Hawaiian Flavors Marelle, a coastal dining destination...

Culver City’s Citizen Public Market Launches Summer Lineup of Food and Art

June 4, 2025

June 4, 2025

From Brats to Biryani: Citizen Public Market Unveils Fantastic New Flavors  Culver City’s Citizen Public Market is rolling out a...

(Video) Some of the Damage Caused By Vandals at Malibu High School Overnight

June 4, 2025

June 4, 2025

40 to 50 people, who are suspected to be students or recent alumni, used eggs, flour, and markers to deface...

Biggest Night of the Year: Don’t Miss GMCLA’s ‘Dancing Queens’

June 3, 2025

June 3, 2025

Culminating its 46th season, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles will grace the crowd with Dancing Queens, celebrating iconic...

Driver Arrested for Suspected DUI After Rollover Crash in West Los Angeles

June 3, 2025

June 3, 2025

One Person Hospitalized, Light Pole Smashed After Late-Night Collision One driver was arrested on suspicion of DUI, and another person...

Pluto TV and Oscar-Winning Director Sean Baker Team Up to Host Free Weekend Screenings

June 3, 2025

June 3, 2025

Popcorn Challenge Interactive Event Set for Westfield Century City Mall  The historic Gardena Cinema, one of the last single-screen, family-operated...

Former ‘Real Housewives’ Husband Sentenced to Over 7 Years for $15 Million Client Fraud 

June 3, 2025

June 3, 2025

Federal Judge Rejects Plea for Medical Placement, Orders Restitution and Prison Time Disgraced former attorney Tom Girardi was sentenced Tuesday...

Malibu High Targeted in Overnight Vandalism Spree; Investigation Underway

June 3, 2025

June 3, 2025

Destruction on Campus Prompts Sheriff’s Probe; Students May Face Charges Vandals caused extensive damage to the school property of Malibu...

A Season of Gratitude: After One Year in Business, Urban Jungle Continues Making its Mark

June 2, 2025

June 2, 2025

Over the last year, Urban Jungle, an indoor and tropical plants nursery, has continued its mission to cultivate a place...