The US President Joe Biden announced at Detroit Auto Show the release of the first round of funding for a nationwide electric vehicle charging network, financing the construction of stations in 35 states.
As part of a $1 trillion infrastructure law approved in November, President Biden announced approval of the first $900 million in infrastructure money to build EV chargers across 53,000 miles of the national highway system in 34 states and Puerto Rico.
The initial round of funding focuses on areas close to interstates, with the department asking state leaders for plans to ultimately locate chargers no more than 50 miles apart on key corridors. The aim is to give drivers of electric vehicles the confidence that they’ll be able to find somewhere to recharge on long trips. Once those corridors are fully built out, states will be free to use any remaining federal funding on other charging projects.
“It used to be that to buy an electric car, you had to make all sorts of compromises. But not now. Thanks to American ingenuity, American engineers, American autoworkers – it’s all changing,” Biden said at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
“I’m pleased to announce that we’re approving funding for the first 35 states, including Michigan, to build their own charging infrastructure throughout their state. The great American road trip is going to be fully electrified. Whether you’re driving coast to coast along I-10, or on I-75 here in Michigan, charging stations will be up and as easy to find as gas stations are now,” the president said in remarks to a crowd of autoworkers and supporters.
Biden signed an executive order in December directing the government to purchase nearly all EV or plug-in hybrid electric models by 2027. The U.S. government owns more than 650,000 vehicles and purchases about 50,000 vehicles annually.
By 2030, Biden wants 50% of all new vehicles sold to be electric or plug-in hybrid electric models and 500,000 new EV charging stations.
