Project overview: Lay the groundwork for expanding the park’s network of electric vehicle charging equipment in Yosemite Valley and Wawona, for use by visitors, regional transit and park shuttles.

How your support helps: As more electric vehicles roll onto U.S. roads and into Yosemite, this grant funds important preparatory steps for significantly increasing the number of charging stations in the park. In 2020, four charging sites were set up in Yosemite, as part of a program to create an “electric highway” connecting national parks in the Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades. This year, with your support, park leaders are pushing ahead with plans to expand the number of electric vehicle charging stations in Yosemite Valley, including at Yosemite Village, Curry Village and The Ahwahnee, as well as in Wawona and at the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza.

In 2021, most work will focus on key pre-installation actions, such as figuring out specifications for the new charging sites, coming up with plans for electrical distribution, and conducting archeological investigations to identify and protect any cultural resources within the proposed construction zones. The new equipment, which should be set up and ready to use within the next few years, will make it easier for park visitors, staff and residents to recharge electric cars, and will power park shuttles, local buses and other large transit vehicles as they transition from diesel.

Project partners: Yosemite National Park and Adopt-a-Charger.

Jim Donovan

Strategic Planning and Project Management, Yosemite National Park

Project Notes

“This project will help the park prepare to serve the state and region’s growing population of electric vehicle owners and operators, and to facilitate a partial transition from gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles to electric vehicles.”