PG&E Donates Electric Safety Vehicle to City of Napa in Support of Emergency Preparedness, One Year After 2014 Earthquake

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) donated a state-of-the-art plug-in electric hybrid truck as part of the city of Napa’s commemoration of last year’s South Napa earthquake. The “Napa Strong 6.0/365” commemoration event recognized the earthquake response of the many dedicated first responders, PG&E employees and the community.

Barry Anderson, PG&E Vice President of Emergency Preparedness and Operations presented the keys to a plug-in electric hybrid pickup truck as an innovative, new tool to use during emergency response.

“As we look back today and celebrate the progress made in Napa since the earthquake, we also look forward and emphasize the importance for each of us to have an emergency plan before a natural disaster occurs. By supporting the city and first responders with new technologies like this next-generation electric hybrid truck, we are furthering our collaboration toward increasing local emergency preparedness,” said Anderson.

The truck, developed locally in California by Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. in partnership with PG&E, combines 30 miles of all-electric driving with 350 more miles of hybrid driving range and can provide up to 40 kVa of exportable power. This exportable power is enough to power a small neighborhood and allows first responders to plug in lighting, equipment and other tools at the site of an emergency.

The vehicle donation is part of a larger PG&E initiative to donate a series of innovative plug-in electric hybrid pick-up trucks and the associated charging infrastructure to local fire departments. The donation is part of PG&E’s commitment to operate as the greenest utility fleet in the industry, with nearly 3,500 alternative fuel vehicles, including approximately 1,000 electric and electric hybrid units.

As part of the initiative, PG&E is also partnering with the local Napa Communities Firewise Foundation to donate vehicle charging equipment for the Napa City Fire Department. Napa Firewise works to raise awareness in the Napa community about fire prevention, safety and emergency preparedness.

On August 24, 2014, a 6.0 earthquake rocked Northern California and the City of Napa, resulting in more than 70,000 customers losing power to homes and businesses. PG&E employees from around the state descended on the region. Within 26 hours, crews restored power to all customers and within days conducted leak surveys on thousands of miles of the gas pipelines, provided door-to-door customer service to more than 6,000 customers, partnered with Red Cross to provide shelter and support to local residents and coordinated response efforts with first responders to ensure safe and reliable gas and electric services to the community.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation