The Next Step - Building an EV Charging Infrastructure

The electric car wave is building. EV sales are set to reach an all-time high in 2022, both in the U.S. and globally, and we're well on our way to reaching the government's ambitious target of a 50% electric vehicle sales share in 2030. Car buyers receive incentives, transport companies are switching fleets to electric, and American manufacturing is being ramped up to meet the exponential rise in demand.

The journey to zero carbon emissions is well underway. And yet — none of these achievements mean a thing if we don't plan and build a network of well-designed, future-proof EV charging facilities.

The Infrastructure Gap

How would you go cross-country with few charging stations between major cities? How will utilities supply enough electricity when whole fleets of trucks need charging simultaneously? What about city dwellers with no private garage or driveway? What's needed is a nationwide network of workplace, community, and highway chargers that are easy to use, fast, and reliable.

The White House Acts

In an effort to address this, the White House has taken concrete steps on its Electric Vehicle Charging Action Plan. All 50 states, plus DC and Puerto Rico, have submitted their EV Infrastructure Deployment Plans. Of those, 35 states have had their plans approved, unlocking $900 million in funding for charging points, including necessary parking and utility upgrades.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg described the goal as making "finding a charge as easy as locating a gas station." Between now and 2030, the Action Plan aims to result in half a million new chargers built across the country.

Part of the Bigger Picture

The Action Plan is part of the broader Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act), which focuses not just on clean transport but also on rebuilding roads and bridges, delivering clean drinking water, and creating good-paying jobs. The next step is for the Federal Highway Administration to establish the rules and regulations governing how individual states can spend their allocated funding.