When the Biden administration made the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law a reality in November 2021, $7.5 billion was earmarked for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. This marked a critical time in the lifecycle of the EV revolution, as EV adoption would grind to a halt without investment in a robust charging infrastructure nationwide.
However, since the implementation of the Infrastructure Law, the results of the money reserved for EV charging have been lackluster at best. To date, a paltry seven charging stations have been implemented because of the 2021 bill.
Charging station availability and reliability have been slowing EV progress for years. Even though the number of charging stations nationwide has grown significantly in the past decade, the reliability of those charging stations has left many EV drivers frustrated and grappling with “charging anxiety.”
Recent studies have shown that even though there are more than 175,000 EV charging stations in the United States, 20 percent of those are inoperable at any given time. This disparity shows the need for an influx of charging stations, education dissemination to the public on why investment in workable charging stations is essential, and comprehensive solutions to the problem of slow charging station growth.
The reason for the slow movement in the EV charging station business is multifaceted. Bureaucracy can prevent funds from getting to the places where they are most needed. A number of government groups must work together to make charging stations a priority.
Since they are clearly pointed out in legislative requirements, diversity, equity and inclusion issues can also create roadblocks to EV charging station infrastructure installation. In areas with higher socio-economic disparity, we see a slower disbursement of public funds. These are areas with less EV adoption to begin with, as many available EVs are out of the range of affordability in areas with high poverty.
There is also wide workforce diversity in these areas. Many of these workers may not have the necessary training or education to support the building and maintenance of EV charging stations. To reach the goal of 500,000 EV chargers by 2030, these roadblocks will need to be removed, and equal access to government funds will need to be granted.
With the problem evident, what is the solution? The primary solution is education. The public needs to be educated on EVs being the future. Many people may still consider them a fringe product, and they do not consider investment in the EV charging infrastructure a priority. EV drivers still have the reputation of being “tree huggers.”
However, with more than 1.6 million EVs sold in 2023, it is becoming more evident that EV adoption is continuing. The large car manufacturers are retooling their offerings and going all-in on EVs. Still, the typical person is unaware of how many public charging stations are available. The industry aims for millions of chargers worldwide by 2030, far beyond the administration’s 500,000 goal. We have a lot of work to do.
As we look into the future, if we are to carry the hope that private investors and government funding will continue to support EV adoptions and the need for widespread charger installation, education will tip the scales in our favor. With a push to train and educate more workers to be EV-specific technologists and an effort to educate the public on the benefits of EV adoption, the tide of public opinion will begin to shift.
As the money set aside in the Infrastructure Law finds its rightful place, trickling down to fund the necessary charging station infrastructure, people will begin to see more charging stations going up in their neighborhoods. Then, we will start to notice the positive outcome many of us have been working toward for years.
