Biden Administration Releases $500 Million To Construct Extra EV Chargers Throughout America – CleanTechnica – TechnoNews

Join day by day information updates from CleanTechnica on e mail. Or observe us on Google Information!

The Biden administration introduced this week that it’s going to present $521 million in grants to proceed constructing out electrical car charging and different fueling infrastructure throughout 29 states, 8 Federally Acknowledged Tribes, and the District of Columbia, together with the deployment of greater than 9,200 EV chargers. In a press launch, the Federal Freeway Administration (FHA) stated the brand new EV infrastructure will improve entry and reliability to communities throughout the nation and supply EV charging to gentle, medium, and heavy obligation autos alongside designated highways, interstates, and main roadways. The funds are part of the administration’s purpose of supporting the expansion of a handy, inexpensive, dependable, and “made in America” nationwide community of EV chargers so drivers can cost near dwelling, at work, and alongside vital corridors all through the US.

Charging infrastructure is being in-built rural, suburban, city, and Tribal communities alike, supplementing non-public funding and filling crucial gaps the place charging is required most. Moreover, this buildout aligns with the Nationwide Zero Emission Freight Hall Technique by investing in EV chargers for vans alongside one of many nation’s largest freight corridors in America. These investments promote EV adoption, emission reductions, financial improvement and wholesome communities.

The funds for this may primarily come from the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program, for which a brand new name was launched on the finish of Could. In line with the federal authorities, there at the moment are over 192,000 public charging factors within the US — twice as many as there have been when President Biden took workplace. The variety of new EV charger installations throughout that point has averaged about 1,000 per week. This progress is a testomony to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation and the catalyzing impact it has had on non-public investments for EV charging infrastructure, the FHA stated.

EV Chargers Coming To Extra Places

The mission allotments are unfold pretty equally throughout the totally different states. In California, 5 initiatives will likely be funded, together with the $3 million “Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians CFI Project” which is able to set up 70 charging stations within the Reservation in addition to the Route 50 freeway. The biggest mission in California will obtain $102 million for the “West Coast Truck Charging and Fueling Corridor Project” to deploy charging and hydrogen fueling stations for zero-emission medium and heavy obligation autos alongside 2,500 miles of key freight corridors in California, Oregon, and Washington. That mission would be the largest funding on this newest funding spherical. The smallest funding will go to a St. Louis suburb named College Metropolis which is able to obtain $500,000 to put in as much as 32 publicly accessible charging factors in a traditionally deprived space. These EV chargers will assist join residents of College Metropolis within the St. Louis metro space.

“The Biden-Harris Administration has taken action to ensure that America leads the EV revolution, and the historic infrastructure package includes resources to support a nationwide EV charger network so that all drivers have an accessible, reliable, and convenient way to charge their vehicles,” stated U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The awards that we’re announcing today will build on this important work and help ensure that the cost savings, health and climate benefits, and jobs of the EV future are secured for Americans across the country.”

“Today’s grants are a critical part of ensuring every American can find a charger as easily as a gas station, which will decrease pollution from our roadways, lower costs for families, and help people get to where they need to go efficiently,” added U.S. Transportation Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg.

$321 million of immediately’s funding will likely be allotted for 41 “community” initiatives that broaden EV charging infrastructure inside communities throughout the nation, whereas $200 million will go to constructing 10 quick charging corridors in America. The awards additionally assist the Biden administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which goals for 40% of the general advantages of federal investments to stream to deprived communities. Investing in these communities creates jobs, reduces transportation prices, and helps mitigate healthcare prices brought on by air air pollution, whereas guaranteeing everybody has equitable entry to EV chargers. A full listing of all of the initiatives that will likely be funded by these grants is out there on-line at this hyperlink.

“As we reach this important milestone in building out the national EV charging network, FHWA remains steadfast in our continued work supporting the deployment of hundreds of thousands of EV chargers over the next several years,” stated Federal Freeway Administrator Shailen Bhatt. “The EV charging and alternative fueling projects receiving awards today will deliver clean transportation in communities nationwide and put America on a path to lead the world in zero-emission transportation technology while creating good-paying jobs and reducing our carbon footprint.”

Gabe Klein, government director of the Joint Workplace of Power and Transportation, stated, “Most EV charging will happen at homes, workplaces, or other destinations while vehicles are already parked, providing a safe, reliable, and vastly more convenient way for anyone to fuel. Today’s investments in public community charging fill crucial gaps and provide the foundation for a zero-emission future where everyone can choose to ride or drive electric for greater individual convenience and reduced fueling costs, as well as cleaner air and lower healthcare costs for all Americans.”

Chip in just a few {dollars} a month to assist assist unbiased cleantech protection that helps to speed up the cleantech revolution!

Taxpayers Doing What Automakers Refused To Do

Common CleanTechnica readers could have observed an article yesterday concerning the slow-moving strategy of increasing entry to the Tesla Supercharger community, wherein a number of feedback excoriated the mainstream automakers for refusing to construct EV charger networks of their very own. Tesla acknowledged early on that entry to dependable high-speed chargers was a crucial element within the EV gross sales course of. Ford, GM, and Stellantis by no means actually thought electrical automobiles would ever enchantment to many drivers, so that they stood on the sidelines with their palms within the pockets, anticipating another person to do the heavy lifting for them. It’s not a stretch to say the cash the federal government is spending to advertise the set up of EV chargers is mostly a subsidy for these corporations, who haven’t spent a dime of their very own cash to make EV chargers out there to their clients.

Whereas others have been wailing concerning the excessive price of EV chargers — particularly DC quick charging tools — Tesla buckled down and discovered learn how to do it quicker and at decrease price. It additionally put a precedence on reliability. At this time the Tesla Supercharger community is the gold commonplace of the business. After all, within the spring, Elon Musk elected to explode the Supercharger workforce for causes which are nonetheless a thriller. Since then, Tesla has stopped constructing new Supercharger places on the identical tempo because it did earlier than, which can be associated to cost cuts on its new automobiles, comparatively excessive rates of interest, or Elon having a ketamine induced hissy match.

The upshot of all that is that EV chargers have gotten extra prevalent in America. My spouse and I’ve observed this throughout our travels round New England in our Chevy Bolt this summer season. There are noticeably extra chargers scattered about than there have been after we purchased the automotive final 12 months, so it’s all good in case you are an EV fan. Extra chargers are coming, and with them will come extra electrical automobiles. The EV revolution is going on; it’s simply taking a bit of longer than we thought it might, thanks in massive measure to foot dragging by the foremost automotive corporations who by no means thought it might occur within the first place.