Team Blitz India
THE US administration has announced a significant funding commitment of US$1.3 billion to advance the expansion of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in urban and rural communities nationwide.
Under the guidance of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and with assistance from the US Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office), this programme is open for involvement from state, regional, Tribal, and local government organisations.
Funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this injection of funds represents “the largest single grant funding opportunity for EV charging in the nation’s history,” as highlighted by Joint Office Executive Director Gabe Klein.
Klein emphasised the urgency of accelerating electrification efforts in light of global trends, stating, “Doubling down on electrification is more important than ever to our economic prosperity and national security.” The previous phase of the programme supported 47 projects across 22 states and Puerto Rico, resulting in the construction of approximately 7,500 EV charge points.
Staggering demand
The FHWA reported a staggering demand for funding, with applications totalling six times the available funding. To address this, over US$520 million will be reserved for reconsideration of some firstround applicants. Applications for the latest round of funding are to be submitted by 28th August this year.
Despite ambitious targets set by the administration to establish a nationwide network of 500,000 EV charging ports by 2030, progress has been sluggish. As of December 2023, the US had 183,000 public charging ports, with notable disparities in geographical distribution.
Poor pace
California leads the nation with 51,490 charging ports, while Alaska lags behind with only 123. Despite funding allocations, the pace of infrastructure deployment has been criticised. Out of the US$5 billion allocated in 2021, only seven charging stations have become operational.
