Los Angeles has updated its city sustainability plan with a number of ambitious goals for electric vehicles and renewable energy, calling it “L.A.’s Green New Deal.”

Mayor Eric Garcetti has unveiled a number of new targets in the updated plan. The city aims to increase the percentage of electric and zero emission vehicles in the city to 25% by 2025, 80% by 2035, and 100% by 2050.

Los Angeles also wants to install 10,000 publicly available EV chargers by 2022; and 28,000 chargers by 2028.

LA is also considering self-driving vehicles in the plan, as it looks to “ensure all autonomous vehicles (AVs) used for sharing services are electric” by 2021. Garcetti told the Los Angeles Times,

“Most people will be primarily getting into autonomous vehicles if we look 20, 30 years out. If we mandate that autonomous vehicles have to be electric, then we will move people into electric vehicles.”

The city seems to be considering reducing emissions in every form of transportation. It wants to electrify 10% of its taxi fleet by 2022, and 100% of its fleet by 2028. LA wants to electrify all of its Metro and LADOT buses by 2030, and it plans to introduce 155 new electric buses into its fleet in 2021.

Los Angeles even wants all school buses to be zero emissions by 2028. The city is looking to do the same with its trash and recycling trucks by 2028, and wants to reduce port-related GHG emissions 80% by 2050.

Los Angeles also plans to develop a roadmap to a “Fossil Fuel Free Zone” by 2021, and seeks to implement it by 2030.

Renewable Goals

In addition to LA’s long-term target of 100% renewable energy by 2045, Los Angeles has set a number of accelerated short-term benchmarks to hit along the way. The city wants the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to supply the city with 55% renewable energy by 2025, and 80% by 2036. (California has set a goal for 100% carbon-free electricity by 2045.)

The city has also set distinct solar goals, aiming to increase its cumulative megawatts 900-1,500 by 2025, 1,500-1,800 by 2035, and 1,950 by 2050. It also wants to boost energy storage capacity up to 1,654-1,750 MW, 3,000 MW and 4,000 MW by those same years.

A recent study from solar installation company Sunrun provided a roadmap for Los Angeles to reach 100% clean energy through the use of more solar power and a virtual power plant. Los Angeles leads American cities in solar capacity, with about 420 MW in total installations.

Like a few other cities in recent weeks (New York and San Francisco), Los Angeles is also targeting building emissions in its updated plans. The city wants all new buildings to be net zero in carbon by 2030, and 100% of its buildings to be net zero carbon by 2050. It’s also setting benchmarks for reducing building energy use.

LA has set a number of other targets to reduce industrial emissions, methane emissions, and municipal greenhouse gas emissions. The city also seeks to create 300,000 green jobs by 2035, and 400,000 by 2050.

Electrek’s Take

Every week now, it seems that more states and cities are stepping up with plans and commitments to a more renewable, electrified future.

LA’s plan specifically stands out for its EV targets. Setting a goal of 28,000 public chargers for one city in less than 10 years (there’s currently around 2,000 chargers in LA) is no joke, and that investment in infrastructure would do a lot to further adoption. There’s plenty in the full plan which we didn’t even get into here, and it sets a standard for other American cities to follow when it comes to electric transportation.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos and subscribe to the podcast.