The Biden-Harris Administration has announced a significant milestone in advancing electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure by allocating nearly $150 million to 24 grant recipients across 20 states. These funds will be utilized to enhance the reliability of existing EV charging infrastructure, with a focus on repairing or replacing approximately 4,500 charging ports, thereby facilitating smoother operations and accessibility for EV drivers nationwide.

This initiative aligns with President Biden’s ambitious goal of deploying at least 500,000 public EV chargers by the end of the decade, marking a crucial step towards building a comprehensive and reliable national charging network. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of ensuring universal access to EV charging infrastructure, underscoring the administration’s commitment to facilitating the transition to electric mobility.

The funding for these grants stems from the newly established National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in collaboration with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. This program, with a $5 billion allocation, aims to support states in expanding EV charging infrastructure to meet the growing demand for electric vehicles. The grant recipients and projects were outlined in a Notice of Funding Opportunity published in September 2023, reflecting a rigorous selection process to ensure targeted investment in improving EV charging reliability and accessibility.

Under President Biden’s leadership, EV sales have experienced significant growth, accompanied by a substantial increase in publicly available charging ports. The administration’s $7.5 billion investment in expanding and fortifying the EV charging network has catalyzed over $130 billion in private sector investment in EV-related industries, including battery and charging infrastructure manufacturing.

Today’s announcement builds upon a series of comprehensive actions undertaken by the Biden-Harris Administration to accelerate EV adoption and infrastructure development. These actions include substantial grant awards for EV charging and alternative fueling projects, approval of state EV charging plans, and initiatives to enhance the charging experience and promote domestic production of EV charging components.

Click here to read the full article, originally published January 26, 2024 by Traffic Technology Today.