A plan to boost electric car manufacturing and infrastructure in Riverside County aims to jumpstart the region’s economy with highly-paid trade and technical jobs, while tackling persistent air pollution. Assemblymember Corey Jackson , a Moreno Valley Democrat, is proposing an electric vehicle opportunity zone in the area , to expand training and education programs for EV technicians and engineers. The bill could benefit car mechanics who build and maintain the vehicles, electricians and welders who make charging stations to power them, and software developers who design programs to run the cars.
The bill would also offer business loans, tax credits, and grants to EV manufacturers. “We’re trying to mimic what California did for Tesla, to get other people in the game,” Jackson said. “And to make sure those resources are centered in lower income and middle class communities, not just Silicon Valley or large urban areas.
” The bill passed the Assembly in May and survived the Senate appropriations committee last week, but must win final approval in the Legislature by Aug. 31 to reach the governor’s desk. Startup costs would be at least $4.
5 million with $1.2 million in annual expenses after that, according to the bill analysis , making it trickier to pass amid the state’s $47 billion budget deficit. Jackson and the bill’s supporters maintain it’s a sound investment.
Creating well-paid trade and technical jobs is a high priority for leaders in the Inland Empire,.