LOS ANGELES - The California Energy Commission announced EV Connect, a leading provider of electric vehicle infrastructure solutions, and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will be conducting a pilot program to assess the integration of personal electric vehicles into the transportation network.

"This project will bring the city of Los Angeles closer to achieving its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 35 percent below 1990 levels by 2030," said Energy Commissioner Anthony Eggert. "The Energy Commission is proud to be a part of this first-of-its-kind PEV infrastructure rollout with EV Connect and Metro."

This pilot project will assess the viability of a PEV-transit network and establish best practices while reducing the carbon footprint of Los Angeles. The transportation sector alone accounts for 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in California, 6 percent higher than the national average.

"We are looking forward to the success of this pilot effort, which will encourage drivers of plug-in electric vehicles to use Metro while charging their vehicles at our transit stations," said Metro Board Chair and Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe.

EV infrastructure will be integrated at strategic points at the end of the system, such as Canoga and Sierra Madre, as well as at heavy traffic locations such as Union Station and Universal City. One objective of the study is to understand if the integration of EV charging solutions into Metro's system will improve the transit experience for patrons and attract others to consider a charge-and-ride option in their daily commutes.

"This is the first study of its kind to analyze the integration of EV solutions into a transit network," said Jordan Ramer, CEO of EV Connect. "The data procured from this study will establish industry benchmarks on charge-and-ride commuters, which will help shape the future of multi-modal transportation."