U.S. EV Charging Network Gets $2.5 Billion Boost From Biden Administration

The Biden Administration is making good on a promise to create a vastly bigger electric vehicle charging network across the U.S., particularly in lower-income or rural regions, by opening up access to $2.5 billion in additional federal funds as part of a push to cut automotive carbon emissions.

The Department of Transportation’s new Charging and Fueling Infrastructure grant program, created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and running for five years, is part of efforts to open 500,000 new EV charging stations nationwide. It includes $700 million available in fiscal 2022 and 2023 to get chargers and alternative fuel stations, including hydrogen, up and running in urban and rural areas. A specific focus is getting more public chargers built in underserved regions, said Christopher Coes, the DOT’s assistant secretary for transportation policy.

“All Americans, regardless of where they live, should have the opportunity to benefit from the lower operating costs, reduced maintenance needs and improved performance that EVs can provide,” Coes told reporters. “Achieving our long-term climate and equity goals requires the equitable deployment of EV infrastructure.”

The new funds are in addition to $5 billion already earmarked for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure, or NEVI, program to build chargers and clean fuel stations on federal and state highways and roads. The new grants are intended to complement and fill in any gaps in charging infrastructure, according to the Transportation Department.

U.S. sales of electric cars and trucks topped 5% of new vehicle sales for the first time in 2022, led by demand for Tesla’s namesake battery models. Dozens of new cars, crossovers and pickups are rolling out from both the auto industry’s biggest companies and startups, but the absence of ubiquitous public charging infrastructure remains a concern for many potential customers. New charging stations must also meet “Made In America” content requirements to qualify for federal grant funds.

Tesla currently operates the largest network of charging stations across the country and recently agreed to open 7,500 of them up to non-Tesla customers to receive access to federal funds.