Bay Area

City of Richmond and Volta to Offer Free Public Electric Vehicle Charging

Published

6 years ago

August 12, 2020

For the first time in California, a local government is partnering with a private company to provide free charging for electric vehicle drivers without spending taxpayer money.

On July 29, 2020, the City of Richmond announced a partnership with Volta, the industry leader in innovative electric vehicle charging networks. Volta will provide the first free electric vehicle charging stations on a public right of way in California that are not funded by taxpayer dollars. The stations are located next to the BART parking garage at 1501 MacDonald Ave.

“We are proud to power Volta, whose mission to accelerate electric vehicle adoption aligns well with our city’s priority of cleaner air,” said Mayor Tom Butt. “Available infrastructure is a critical factor in the shift toward electrifying transportation and we are eager to equip our community with utilities that support this shift, beginning with free public electric vehicle chargers at the local BART station.”
Volta’s digital, place-based media allows forward-thinking brand partners to reach high-value audiences in historically unavailable locations while simultaneously driving the mission of sustainability forward.
“Volta is dedicated to making electric vehicle charging more accessible and we applaud the City of Richmond’s Transportation Services Division for taking the initiative to provide free and convenient stations to its community,” said Scott Mercer, founder and CEO of Volta. “The additional measure of providing the infrastructure without using taxpayer dollars highlights Richmond’s innovative approach to a cleaner, electrified future and we look forward to giving its residents the experience of free charging.”

The City of Richmond embraces emerging technologies and public-private partnerships that can improve service delivery, meet community needs, and reduce resource consumption with the potential to foster key quality of life improvements across sectors.

For more than a decade, Volta has been building a nationwide electric vehicle charging network to drive the world forward. Named after Alessandro Volta, the inventor of the electric battery, Volta’s award-winning charging stations benefit brands, consumers, and real-estate locations by providing valuable advertising space to businesses and free charging to drivers. Strategically located in places where consumers already spend their time and money, Volta is creating the sustainable fueling network of the 21st century.

Headquartered in San Francisco, Volta chargers are currently the most utilized electric vehicle charging stations in the United States.

Christopher Whitmore is the chief of staff for Richmond Mayor Tom Butt.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

3 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

1 week ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.