Federal government launches program to install EV charging network

Biden Administration officials are detailing plans for the installation of an electric vehicle charging network. The $7.5 billion in federal funding, which will be rolled out in two phases, comes from the president’s infrastructure bill that was approved last year.

U.S. Department of Transportation and Department of Energy officials will collaborate on the initiative. The first step will be working with states to install so-called “Alternative Energy Corridors” — distributing EV chargers along major freeways over a five-year period.

“We want to make sure that every community has the ability to not just have a vehicle but charge it as well.” — Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Secretary of Energy

States will have until August to submit plans for their charging networks in order to receive money from the federal government — which will total $5 billion during phase one of the project. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg says work to map out those routes is already underway across the country.

“And this is just one part of the vision,” says Buttigieg. “Soon we’ll be rolling out an additional $2.5 billion for a new grant program with even more funding for chargers at the community level across the country.”

U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm says phase two of the project will focus on filling in gaps where people may not have access to chargers.

“Particularly in communities that have not had access to charging stations,” says Granholm. “We want to make sure that every community has the ability to not just have a vehicle but charge it as well.”