The US Government officially announced $100 million in funds primarily to “repair and replace existing, but non-operational” electric vehicle charging infrastructures, according to the Federal Highway Administration’s press release.
Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator program details
The Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator is a government program under the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
For context, the NEVI Formula “stipulates a 10% set-aside for grants to States and localities that require additional assistance to strategically deploy electric vehicle charging infrastructure,” the press release outlined.
Its first funding round will concentrate on the accelerator program for up to $100 million, which aims to repair and replace non-operational EV chargers in the country.
“Under President Biden’s leadership, America is leading the electric vehicle revolution. This funding represents the latest step toward building a convenient, affordable, reliable charging network that reaches every corner of our nation.”
US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
Purpose
The US Government, through the Federal Highway Administration, aims to establish an enormous and reliable EV charging network nationwide.
They acknowledge that charging-related issues remain the top barrier impedes the country’s wider electric adoption.
According to the Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) Station Locator, offline chargers are “temporarily unavailable” due to different reasons like power issues and routine maintenance. It further revealed that 6,261 public charging ports of the total 151,506 units were temporarily unavailable.
That said, these kinds of initiatives are part of the government’s effort to address this issue. Replacing and repairing non-functional chargers will undoubtedly increase the confidence of EV owners as they take on the road.
It will also significantly encourage more customers to join the shift to clean mobility, considering the potential existence of a stronger and wider charging network to support the technology.
“Charging your electric vehicle should be as easy and convenient as filling up a gas tank – and this investment will make our EV charging network more reliable, full stop. We’re building a bigger EV charging network to keep up with driver demand, and we’re also going to make sure the currently available network is working when you need a charge.”
Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt
Previous initiatives
Apart from the Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator program, the Biden-Harris Administration has already taken multiple initiatives to promote the shift to EVs. These programs include the following:
- In May 2023 – National Charging Experience Consortium (ChargeX)
- In March 2023 – First round of the CFI Discretionary Grant Program with a maximum of $700 million fund from FY22 and FY23
- In February 2023 – FHWA’s final regulations for EV charging
- In February 2023 – Build America, Buy America implementation strategy
- In September 2022 – Approval of 52 EV charging plans from States, Puerto Rico, and DC
“Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we are building up a national EV charging network with chargers Made in the USA. Today’s investment is a pivotal step toward revitalizing our current charging infrastructure making EV driving cheaper, more reliable, and more convenient.”
US Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm
See Also:
- US states with the best charging network
- Nearly 50% of US car buyers intend to buy an EV, but concerns over charging infrastructures remain
- Tesla Magic Dock Supercharger starts US testing, enabling charging for other EVs
- BlueGreen Alliance and Atlas Public Policy introduce an interactive mapping tool to track all EV investments in the US
- Tesla looking for $100M government funding to develop semi-charging route from Texas to California
The White House urges qualified businesses and projects to submit applications to benefit from the $100 million fund. According to the Notice of Funding Opportunity released on Wednesday, the application deadline is November 13, 2023.
