President Biden has announced a substantial investment of $623 million in grants to further develop and expand the electric vehicle charging infrastructure. This initiative aims to bolster the nationwide network of charging stations, making electric vehicle ownership more accessible and convenient for Americans. The funding will play a crucial role in advancing the transition to clean energy and reducing carbon emissions, aligning with the administration's commitment to combat climate change. By enhancing the infrastructure for electric vehicles, the government seeks to promote sustainable transportation and propel the nation towards a greener future.
As part of President Biden’s massive $7.5 billion plan to extensively build out EV infrastructure in the US – much to the chagrin of some Republican lawmakers – the government has announced that it is investing $623 million in grants to put 7,500 more EV charging stations on the roads.
Funding Allocation
The funding is part of the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program, which gives the Federal Highway Administration $2.5 billion to play with over the next five years to build EV charging fueling stations in local communities and along major highways. Money too has been earmarked to create hydrogen corridors for medium- and heavy-duty freight trucks.
Allocation Recipients
Some $311 million will be offered to 36 “community” projects, including two Indian Tribes in Alaska and Arizona, to build both EV and hydrogen recharging stations at libraries, schools, public parks, etc.
Corridor Projects
The remaining $312 will go to 11 “corridor” recipients whose projects are located along roadways designated as Alternative Fuel Corridors, with the idea to fill gaps in the existing network. The project involves 22 states and Puerto Rico, with the total construction of about 7,500 EV charging ports.
Specific Allocations
For Puerto Rico, some $51 million is earmarked to build out charging stations along its corridors.
Mesa, Arizona, will receive $12 million to build 48 electric vehicle chargers for a variety of vehicle sizes, charging docks for e-bikes and e-scooters, and solar canopies to support electricity generation at the stations.
In Texas, $70 million will be used to build five hydrogen fueling stations for medium- and heavy-duty freight trucks in Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio, as well as create a hydrogen corridor from southern California to Texas. In California, 10 projects will receive grants, while some $26.6 million will go to four projects in Washington. You can see a list of recipients here.
Impact and Future Plans
The Biden administration says this is all critical to building out a “convenient, affordable, reliable and made-in-America national network” of electric vehicle chargers, which includes some 500,000 publicly available chargers by 2030. The promise to bring in new jobs too is part of the package.
“America led the arrival of the automotive era, and now we have a chance to lead the world in the EV revolution – securing jobs, savings, and benefits for Americans in the process,” US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “This funding will help ensure that EV chargers are accessible, reliable, and convenient for American drivers, while creating jobs in charger manufacturing, installation, and maintenance for American workers.”
