$623 Million For EV Charging Network Biden Administration

Paresh Jadhav

12 months ago

The Biden administration recently unveiled $623 million to develop a nationwide network of electric vehicle charging stations. Grants awarded under the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program included in the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will fund 47 projects spread over 22 states.

Projects funded under this initiative aim to meet President Joe Biden’s goal of having 500,000 chargers publicly accessible by 2030 and will also support underserved communities.

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EV Charging Stations in Rural Communities

Key to President Obama’s plan is providing rural Americans access to electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, not only reducing emissions but also creating jobs and drawing tourism dollars into towns that rely on visitors.

The Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is awarding grants to 47 projects nationwide that aim to establish electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, with over 7,500 charging ports planned across 22 states and territories. Over seventy percent of these projects target disadvantaged communities such as tribal lands or rural regions.

Contra Costa County in California will receive $15 million to install fast chargers in 15 libraries – offering range anxiety-reducing charging near where people already shop, bank and meet. FHWA will use funding for this initiative as well as Biden’s Justice40 initiative aimed at directing 40% of federal investments towards environmental justice issues.

EV Charging Stations in Urban Communities

Cities are meeting the challenge of installing electric vehicle (EV) chargers through various strategies. Some include creating EV-only parking spots, encouraging businesses to switch out their fleets for electric versions and speeding up permitting processes for charging stations. They’re also encouraging carshare and rideshare services and placing chargers within multi-family apartment buildings.

But rapid expansion of charging infrastructure must be carried out carefully to avoid leaving behind historically disadvantaged communities, which is why so much of the $623 million announced on Thursday will go toward projects that bring chargers into rural and urban communities.

EV Charging Stations in Freight Corridors

One of the largest projects receiving funding involves electric vehicle charging stations for freight trucks. The administration hopes this initiative will reduce truck emissions by providing truckers with easy access to charging stations on major highways, either using hydrogen fuel cells as an eco-friendly alternative to diesel or high-powered EV chargers to support their growing fleets of medium and heavy duty electric vehicles.

Corridors are vital in driving electric vehicle adoption, which relies on an extensive network of charging stations. Thanks to funding provided through the 2021 infrastructure law, 47 charging corridors will be created across 22 states and Puerto Rico with 7,500 charging ports overall – many will serve underserved communities such as tribal lands or urban neighborhoods that don’t typically attract private service companies; furthermore these corridors aim to reduce range anxiety – another key deterrent against making the switch.

EV Charging Stations in Multi-Family Apartments

As eco-friendly electric vehicle ownership becomes more mainstream, so too do requests for charging stations in multifamily properties. This infrastructure is essential for apartment buildings catering to residents seeking sustainable living options such as energy-saving appliances and recycling programs.

Park City-based RET Ventures has found an innovative solution to this growing challenge for multifamily owners and operators: equipping parking spots within multifamily communities with electric vehicle chargers which it then leases out for a monthly fee to EV drivers.

Costly installations of charging stations can add significantly to homeowners association fees, so Aaronson advises multifamily property developers to evaluate their properties’ capacity for electric vehicle charging stations during preconstruction – that way upfront investment costs are reduced while taking advantage of state or utility incentives and meeting residents’ charging needs is met by having sufficient power available.

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