Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Plan

iven the attention given to climate change, there is a perceived need for the human race to make lifestyle changes.  One of the most sweeping changes that have been observed is a shift from combustion vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs).  It is worth pointing out that transportation has the biggest contribution to greenhouse gas emissions in the United States making up about 30% of the total emissions.  So theoretically, if the government was to eliminate all the combustion engine vehicles from the road, the country would notice a 30% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions which is quite significant.

However, for this to have any chances of success, the EV charging infrastructure needs to be improved.  To provide some perspective, there are about 100,000 EV charging stations in the world while gas stations are about three times that number.  To encourage more people to get electric vehicles, charging stations must be, or nearly be, as there are gas stations.  EV chargers need to be placed every 50 miles at truck stops, travel centers or mixed with current gasoline offerings at convenience stores.  

Details of the Plan

The Biden administration wants 50% of all new vehicles sold to be electric or plug-in hybrid electric models by 2030.  To accommodate this, they plan to improve the electric vehicle infrastructure in the country to have about 500,000 new EV charging stations which is about five times the current number.  The goal is for EV owners to be able to find a charging port within 50 miles of where they are, anywhere in the United States.  Ideally, these charging stations should be at most 50 miles between each other on interstate highways and be located within 1 mile of highways.  It is also worth pointing out that while the plan is to be rolled out at the federal level, most of it is under the control of individual states so that they can customize it to suit their own needs.  

Plan Costs

To undertake such a massive infrastructure project, there are significant costs involved.    Fortunately, the government has already budgeted for these costs with distribution of funding well outlined by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.  The law provides $5 billion in formula funding for states to facilitate the building of a national charging network with 10% is set aside each year for the Secretary to provide grants to States to help fill gaps in the network.  The law provides a further $2. 5 billion for communities and corridors through a competitive grant program aimed at supporting innovative approaches and ensuring that charger deployment meets some of the administration’s objectives which include items such as supporting rural charging, improving local air quality, and increasing EV charging access in disadvantaged communities.

The EV charging infrastructure plan hopes to quadruple the number of EV charging stations in the country while also improving the overall infrastructure to make it logistically easier – if not economically easier – for Americans to own an electric vehicle.

To add to that, there’s $7 billion in funding provided to accelerate innovations and facilities across the battery supply chain and $3 billion in competitive grants for battery minerals and refined materials aimed at accelerating the development of the North American battery supply chain.

Method of Contracting

As earlier pointed out, the government intends for 80% of this project to be under the control of the state government.  This means that state governments are in charge of setting up the electric vehicle chargers and the whole infrastructure for their respective states.  As a result, there is no standard way of contracting.  Different states have varying laws when it comes to contracting of state government projects so you expect that each state will follow its own set of contracting rules and procedures.  

Proponents

During the announcement of this plan, the Biden Administration also announced that they would be setting up a new joint office between the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Energy (DOE).  This office was set up with the purpose of coordinating the federal approach to deploying a national network of charging stations and leveraging resources across agencies as well as providing technical assistance to states and localities and guiding the disbursement of funds.  This office would be the overall proponent to oversee the whole plan.

Opponents

While the plan was designed with a vision for a greener future, there are a few opponents that the administration will have to deal with.   Opponents claim that the infrastructure bill and its dramatic investment in EVs is part of a leftist agenda unrelated to traditional infrastructure with a senior official saying that the total amount of funding it would direct to roads, bridges, ports, waterways, and airports combined adds up to less than what it would spend just on electric cars.

Conclusion

The EV charging infrastructure plan hopes to quadruple the number of EV charging stations in the country while also improving the overall infrastructure to make it logistically easier – if not economically easier – for Americans to own an electric vehicle.