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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.”