By David Shepardson
The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that it will be awarding $521 million in grants for the development of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. This initiative will see the deployment of over 9,200 EV charging ports across the country.
The Energy Department and Federal Highway Administration will be distributing $321 million for 41 community projects aimed at expanding EV charging infrastructure. Additionally, $200 million will be allocated for 10 corridor fast-charging projects.
Specifically, Milwaukee is set to receive $15 million for the installation of EV chargers at 53 sites, while Atlanta will be granted $11.8 million for a DC Fast Charging Hub at the city's airport, equipped with 50 DC fast chargers to cater to rental cars, ride-share drivers, and airport shuttles.
The slow pace of EV charging station deployment has been a point of contention for the Biden administration, which faced criticism for the sluggish progress of a $5 billion U.S. government program established in 2021. Automakers and industry stakeholders emphasize the urgent need to significantly expand EV-charging infrastructure to facilitate the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, a critical component of U.S. efforts to combat greenhouse gas emissions.
The White House's objective is to increase the nationwide network of chargers to 500,000 ports, including high-speed chargers positioned no more than 50 miles apart on the nation's busiest highways. As of August, the United States had 192,000 public charging ports, with the number of publicly available fast-charging ports growing by 90% since the start of the Biden administration. The Federal Highway Administration reported that approximately 1,000 new public chargers are being added each week.
In June, only seven EV-charging stations had been deployed under the 2021 U.S. program, comprising a limited number of charging ports. Shailen Bhatt, head of the Federal Highway Administration, expressed disappointment at the slow deployment rate and highlighted efforts to collaborate with states on their EV charger deployment plans. Senator Jeff Merkley criticized the administration for the delayed progress, labeling it a "vast administrative failure."
It is crucial to accelerate the expansion of EV-charging infrastructure to support the widespread adoption of electric vehicles and achieve environmental goals. The Biden administration's allocation of $521 million for EV charging infrastructure marks a significant step in advancing the development of sustainable transportation solutions in the United States.