The Biden-Harris Administration has announced a slew of grants to aid in the extension of electric vehicle (EV) charging networks across the United States.
The grants, totalling 623 million USD, will contribute toward the Administration’s long-term goal of installing at least 500,000 public EV chargers across the country by 2030.
Made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s 2.5 billion USD Charging and Fuelling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program, the grants will provide comprehensive funding for 47 additional EV charging and alternative-fuelling infrastructure projects across 22 states and Puerto Rico, as well as 7,500 new EV charging points.
As well as advancing President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative; the CFI comes alongside the Government’s existing National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) formula programme, which pledges 5 billion USD towards the construction of a network of high-speed electric vehicle chargers along highways across the U.S.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, said: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.
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.
Recipients of the 623 million USD grants include two Indian Tribes in Alaska and Arizona, who will see major investments made in EV charging and hydrogen fuelling infrastructure in both urban and rural communities. 312 million USD of funding will be given to 11 recipients with projects located along roadways labelled as Alternative Fuel Corridors, which will aim to extend core national charging solutions across the country.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm, said:Every community across the nation deserves access to convenient and reliable clean transportation.
The Biden-Harris Administration is bringing an accessible, made-in-America charging network into thousands of communities while cutting the carbon pollution that is driving the climate crisis.
Further recipients of the grant include the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the Maryland Clean Energy Center, the North Central Texas Council of Governments and Energy Northwest, among others.
Since taking office in 2020, sales of electric vehicles in the U.S. have increased by roughly 70% under President Biden, with over 4 million EVs now operating on roads throughout the country.
