States to get $5 billion for on-highway EV chargers

WASHINGTON — Attention potential car buyers: New electric car charging stations on the way to the highway near you.

On Tuesday, all 50 states received final approval to begin building the first nationwide grid Electric vehicle charging stations that places one roughly every 50 miles (80 kilometers) along interstate highways, part of the Biden administration’s plan to encourage widespread adoption of zero-emission vehicles.

The Transportation Department said the latest set of 17 states it approved approved electric vehicle chargers, leading to $1.5 billion in federal funds to all jurisdictions across the country — or 5 billion dollars within five years, to install or upgrade chargers along 75,000 miles (120,000 kilometers) of highways from coast to coast, with a goal of 500,000 electric vehicle chargers nationwide. Plans for the remaining 33 states and the District of Columbia were approved earlier this month.

By the end of the year, drivers may begin to see expansion and upgrades to existing EV charging stations on the highway in states like California, Colorado, Florida, and Pennsylvania, which now have at least four fast-charging ports, allowing EVs to be fully charged in about an hour.

Construction of new charging points for electric vehicles could begin next spring.

“America led the original automotive revolution last century, and … we’re poised to lead the way in the 21st century with electric vehicles,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. He said the plans “will help ensure that Americans in all parts of the country — from the biggest cities to the most rural communities — can unlock the savings and benefits of electric vehicles.”

Approval is an important step towards construction widespread distribution and use of electric vehicles among consumers who most often express hesitation about the shorter range of electric vehicles and the limited availability of public chargers. President Joe Biden has set a goal for 50% of new car sales in the US to be electric by 2030, and his administration is touting new up to $7,500 in tax credits next year how to make electric cars affordable for ordinary Americans. Still, the five-year plans suggest a potentially long and bumpy road ahead for the EV network on the highway, with states citing risks such as grid capacity shortages, supply chain shortages and equity issues.

For example, while Texas, California and Florida say their grid should be able to handle the added capacity of a million or more electric vehicles, other states aren’t so sure.

“Capacity will become an issue in the coming years as charging infrastructure and electric vehicles become more ubiquitous,” New Mexico’s plan says.

Vermont wrote that “unmanaged or unplanned electric vehicle charging could result in significant costs for utilities to maintain grid reliability and create challenges for grid operators,” and that in some locations “intensive grid upgrades and construction may also be required.”

Mississippi cited a possible shortage of equipment for electric vehicle charging stations, which it said “could cause significant setbacks” in construction. Several states have also expressed concern that they will not be able to purchase charging stations that meet American requirements.

“This could delay implementation for several years,” New Jersey officials wrote.

States are also required to focus primarily on more expensive highway fast chargers, which typically cost between $40,000 and $100,000 to install, rather than using Level 2 chargers in areas and communities, according to the Department of Transportation. , which are cheaper, but take several hours to provide. full charge.

Currently, EV owners charge their vehicles at home 80% of the time, usually in single-family homes. But that is likely to change less wealthy those who do not have a garage for a charging station buy electric cars.

Biden bipartisan infrastructure bill provides an additional $2.5 billion in local subsidies to fill charging network gaps in rural and disadvantaged communities that are less likely to own expensive electric vehicles or have charging stations nearby. The Federal Highway Administration said Tuesday it will begin accepting applications for the money later this year.