All 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, are now approved to tap into federal funds needed to build out the first nationwide charging station network in the US, the Biden administration announced today.
States can now file to be reimbursed for the cost of EV charging infrastructure, the Department of Transportation says. The infrastructure bill approved last year allocated $5 billion over five years; today's approval means the states have access to more than $1.5 billion in FY22 and FY23 for EV chargers covering approximately 75,000 miles of highway across the country.
“We have approved plans for all 50 States, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia to help ensure that Americans in every part of the country—from the largest cities to the most rural communities—can be positioned to unlock the savings and benefits of electric vehicles," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement today.
The news comes about two weeks after President Biden said at the Detroit Auto Show that the first 35 states had been approved, including Michigan.
“It’s a big deal, and we didn’t expect him to say that [at the show],” says Trevor Pawl, the chief mobility officer for Michigan.
Pawl's team worked on the state's plan to use the funding. “There was an official process to be fair to all the states, with steps along the way. The money has to be spent across designated corridors, but we have areas like the Upper Peninsula that were really lacking [in chargers]. So we had to get approval on new corridors, and then work with Michigan State University and other private sector partners to build a map of charger locations,” he says.
The charging network will focus on a few key areas: equitable distribution of chargers so as to not under-develop any areas, highway charging through designated Alternative Fuel Corridors, and standardization of the types of plugs and maintenance expectations for each charger.
“The current network of over 100,000 public chargers operates with different plug types, payment options, data availability, and hardware hookups,” reads an EV fact sheet released with the infrastructure bill. Among other things, the legislation is intended to "establish a more uniform approach, provide greater convenience for customers, and offer increased confidence for industry," the White House says.
The states will decide the number of level two and three chargers to build depending on the charger’s location. A level two charger, which takes a few hours to achieve the same charge that a level three fast charger can get in 30-45 minutes, might be more appropriate outside a grocery store or mall, where the car will be parked for a while.
Level three fast chargers are essential for highway pit stops. We spoke with the Maryland Department of Transportation in May when it was crafting an initial proposal, and it confirmed plans to build almost all fast chargers in the state.
“We’re excited because with this federal funding we can move so much faster on EVs,” says R. Earl Lewis, Deputy Secretary for Policy, Planning and Enterprise Services at the Maryland Department of Transportation. The state submitted its plan ahead of the August 2022 deadline, and was among the first 35 states to receive approval.
Drivers should expect to see an increasing number of chargers on the road over the next five years to accommodate drivers who are upgrading to EVs. The Biden administration is working toward a goal of having 50% of new car sales be EVs by 2030.
The government is also supporting privately funded charging networks, such as the previously announced partnership between General Motors and Pilot Gas Stations, to ensure they meet federal regulations and standards.
If you're considering getting an EV that would need to power up at one of these chargers, the Inflation Reduction Act provides a $7,500 tax credit for American-made electric vehicles.