The City Council on Tuesday approved two items to advance its plan to place 45 new electric vehicle chargers for public access around the city.
The council unanimously approved the purchase of the chargers from Chaevi Co. Ltd. – a South Korean electric vehicle company with manufacturing headquarters in Riverside – for $1.96 million and add $3 million to Riverside Public Utilities' rebate program to help pay for the installations. The money comes from Riverside Public Utilities' Low Carbon Fuel Standard reserve account.
The rebate program is meant to reimburse the city for the cost of chargers and some related utility infrastructure. Staff said at least half of the spending must go to disadvantaged communities under state rules, and the money must be used within three years or return to the reserve fund for other eligible projects.
City officials said the rebates can cover the chargers themselves and certain utility upgrades, but not site improvements. Drivers will still pay to use the chargers, with fees intended to cover electricity and maintenance.
The council also voted 6-1 – with Council member Jim Perry dissenting – to waive the formal bidding process for such a purchase, since the city made a Nov. 4, 2025, agreement with Chaevi that called for the city to consider buying at least 45 chargers as part of its sustainability and economic development goals.
The chargers will be placed around city sites such as libraries, community centers, City Hall, the Riverside Convention Center and the airport.
Some residents wrote in public comments to oppose the waiver of the formal bidding process.
"I oppose [these items] because it appears the city is creating a funding mechanism specifically to support a purchase that was effectively predetermined through the Chaevi [agreement]. The purpose of public procurement is to identify the best solution through a fair and transparent process, not to identify a vendor first and justify the purchase later," wrote a commenter who gave his name as Anton R.
Another resident, who gave his name as Ernie, called into Tuesday's meeting to call for more electric vehicle chargers across the city, saying he often has to go outside of the city to charge his electric vehicle on the weekends.
"I don't think 45 electric vehicle chargers is enough for the city – adding 45 is not enough in Ward 1 right now," he said. "We only have one charge point that has a Type 2 charger that I can use for my vehicle, so I have nowhere to go on the weekend, except for out of the city."
