The US Government has been promoting the shift to electric vehicles to support its climate target of reducing carbon emissions by up to 52% by 2030 from 2005 levels. It also aims to have EVs account for at least 50% of all new car sales in the same period.
However, many US citizens remain reluctant to join the shift to e-mobility over charging infrastructure concerns. As VOA News reported, even current owners struggle with charging their electric cars with a home charger that usually takes long hours per session.
In that sense, the Biden Administration sees fast charger technologies as a “game changer” in the country’s EV uptake.
Federal Government funding
As part of the White House’s efforts to address the prevailing concerns over charging infrastructures, it decided to provide a $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program last year to fund states’ plans to expand the nationwide public charging network. It will be accessible to states for five years.
CNBC noted that the funding is under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Package worth $7.5 billion to increase the number of charging stations in the US. The other $2.5 billion focuses on discretionary funding for the corridor and community charging stations.
The $5 billion funding will aid states in deploying charging stations across the national highway’s designated alternative fuel corridors. This major initiative will undoubtedly alleviate charging and range anxiety among current and future EV owners.
“We’re not going to go electric fast enough if we don’t have the ability to eliminate range anxiety for people and to be able to have them plug in wherever they live, wherever they work, wherever they want to head.”
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a 2022 speech in Washington, DC.
Initial proposal approvals
The NEVI program called for the US states to provide their respective charging infrastructure deployment proposals to the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation by August 1. Then, the Federal Highway Administration approved the feasible plans in late September.
EV-a2z previously reported the US’ approval for the first 35 states’ charging infrastructure project proposals along 53,000 miles of highway worth more than $900 million from the NEVI program. These US states were as follows:
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Washington
- Wisconsin
“China has been leading the race up to now, but this is about to change. Because America is building convenient, reliable, equitable national public charging networks. So wherever you live, charging an electric vehicle will be quick and easy.”
President Joe Biden
Significance
Deploying public fast chargers will enable typical electric vehicle drivers to save up to $1,000 annually on gasoline expenses.
In addition, the program will aid the country in combatting the climate crisis as it boosts people’s confidence toward the shift to e-mobility,
Having sufficient and reliable fast-charging stations will boost the administration’s target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
The NEVI program substantially boosted the US Government’s target of deploying 500,000 EV charging stations nationwide by 2030. The e Federal Highway Administration and the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation committed to aid the states in executing their approved EV charging projects.
