On Tuesday, the federal government announced $2.5 billion in new funds for installing electric car charging stations and alternative fueling infrastructure to improve access in marginalized regions and neighborhoods.
The funding will be distributed over five years under the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure or CFI program, emphasizing highway chargers and places in traditionally neglected and disadvantaged urban, rural, and tribal areas. Apparently, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg forgot to tell Biden that disadvantaged areas can’t afford EVs. Heck, the middle class can’t afford it, either. Neither Pete nor Biden seems worried about the collapsing economy but very happy about this latest spending spree.
In a statement from the Department of Transportation, the funds are intended to address gaps in the national charging and alternative-fueling network.
In his address, Buttigieg stated that the overriding objective is to modernize the infrastructure while creating decent employment.
He lauded the additional money as another significant step toward a future in which EVs are easy, inexpensive, dependable, and accessible to all Americans. A future that still seems too far away.
The $2.5 billion in funding is divided equally between two tracks: a Community Program that aims to strategically distribute chargers in underserved areas of cities and communities and a Corridor Program to establish Alternative Fuel Corridors to enable long-distance trucking and cross-country travel without gasoline.
The funds supplement a separate $5 billion in federal funding earmarked for expanding a countrywide network of EV chargers along roads.
The Biden administration has prioritized building on highways that allow EV users to travel great distances at the expense of urban districts, commercial centers, and apartment complexes where chargers are in relatively higher demand.
The funds were established under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, enacted by Congress in November 2021, and fall within President Joe Biden’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 (which will be helped by the construction of 500,000 public EV charging stations).
The agency did not indicate how many charges it anticipates the most recent cash to support. Direct-current fast chargers, which can charge a vehicle’s battery to 80% of its capacity in 20 to 45 minutes, are relatively costly, costing $40,000 to $100,000, which restricts the number that can be constructed. Nevertheless, they allow drivers to return to a highway or other route swiftly.
Level 2 chargers are less expensive but take a few hours to charge an electric vehicle; they are generally located in residential areas and in proximity to schools, stores, and workplaces.
In addition to funding the installation of electric charging stations, the awards will cover the expansion of hydrogen, propane, and natural gas refueling infrastructure.
The EV charger funds will support the installation of new charging stations in public buildings, schools, and parks and parking garages with public access.
Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm stated that the new funds would provide the electric car industry with a much-needed boost.
The fast rise of the electric car industry has taxed the infrastructure in several places, resulting in customer resistance, particularly among people who cannot charge their vehicles at home.
Granholm stated that ensuring that charging stations are more visible and accessible in our communities meets the concerns of many American drivers contemplating switching to electric vehicles.