The Biden administration just followed through on one of its promises to make funding for electric vehicle chargers available to local governments. The Department of Transportation is now accepting applications for its $2.5 billion Fueling and Charging Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program, which will provide funds to cities, counties, regional governments and tribes to help install electric vehicle chargers, hydrogen fueling stations and other low emission systems near their residents.
Half of the program funds will go towards chargers and stations in “public access” places like parking lots, parks and schools. The rest will install this equipment in “alternative fuel corridors” along highways to help with long-distance travel. The initial round of financing will make $700 million available, with the remainder going over the five years of the program. Officials must submit their application no later than May 30.
The initiative is part of President Biden’s broader campaign to build 500,000 charging stations by 2030, or about five times as many as in early 2022. The money, allocated as part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Act, is intended to ensure the access to cargo within 50 miles of someone’s location in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. While the effort is aimed at stimulating the general adoption of electric vehicles, there is an additional focus on underserved communities, such as some urban and rural areas.
A robust charging infrastructure is considered vital to a successful transition from combustion engine cars. Existing stations can sometimes be crowded or unreliable, and are not always compatible with the fast charging available with recent electric vehicles. Government funding isn’t guaranteed to fix these problems, but it should increase the likelihood that you’ll be able to travel cross-country in an electric vehicle.
