The Biden administration has announced $100 million in Federal funding to repair and replace non-operational EV chargers in an effort to make the national charging network more reliable and robust. Dubbed the EV Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator project, the finding will cover both publicly and privately owned EV charging stations that are available to the public without restriction. Applications for access to funding through the new Federal project are due by November 13th, 2023.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center Station Locator, roughly 4.1 percent of the network’s 151,506 public charging ports (or 6,261 ports) were temporarily unavailable, as of September 11th, 2023. Initial estimates indicate that the $100 million in Federal funding available via the EV Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator project will cover the repair or replacement costs of all eligible projects. Funding will be awarded through a streamlined application process.
“Charging your electric vehicle should be as easy and convenient as filling up a gas tank – and this investment will make our EV charging network more reliable, full stop,” said Federal Highway Administrator, Shailen Bhatt. “We’re building a bigger EV charging network to keep up with driver demand, and we’re also going to make sure the currently available network is working when you need a charge.”
The $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program created under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes a 10 percent set-aside in grants to support States and localities in deploying EV charging infrastructure, with the first found of funding focusing on improving reliability of the current network.
“Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we are building up a national EV charging network with chargers Made in the U.S.A.,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. “Today’s investment is a pivotal step toward revitalizing our current charging infrastructure making EV driving cheaper, more reliable, and more convenient.”
Secretary Granholm recently undertook an EV roadtrip covering 770 miles between Charlotte, North Carolina and Memphis, Tennessee. Reports indicate that Granholm’s EV caravan encountered difficulties recharging during the journey.
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