The funding should have been enough to buy 20,000 charging spots, across 5,000 stations, but only 38 spots are available across seven stations.
A little over two years ago, the Biden administration set out to build 500,000 electrical vehicle charging stations across the country by 2030 and allocated $7.5 billion to do so. Since then only seven stations have been completed across four states.
According to the Washington Post, $5 billion of the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure bill was divvied out to individual states to build fast charging stations along major highways in what was called the National Electronic Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program.
A spokesperson for the Federal Highway Administration told the outlet that the funding should have been enough to buy 20,000 charging spots across 5,000 stations, but only 38 spots are available across seven stations.
Deputy director for transportation and innovation at the Third Way think tank, Alexander Laska said, "I think a lot of people who are watching this are getting concerned about the timeline,”
Last month, House Republicans Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Jeff Duncan (R-SC), and Morgan Griffith (R-Va) expressed concern over the progress in a letter to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, and Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. "We have significant concerns that under your efforts American taxpayer dollars are being woefully mismanaged," They wrote.
"The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provided $5 billion for the NEVI Formula Program ($1 billion annually from FY22-FY26), and a total of $2.5 billion from FY22- FY26 for the CFI Discretionary Grant Program," the letter continued. "Despite recent award announcements, little progress has been made in the buildout of electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure.
"On December 15, 2023, the Department of Energy and Department of Transportation announced the opening of America’s first EV fast charging stations funded through the NEVI Formula Program: in Ohio and New York.2 This announcement for merely eight charging stations comes more than two years after the passage of the IIJA," the representatives noted.
In response, A Federal Highway Administration spokesperson told the Post, "We are building a national EV charging network from scratch, and we want to get it right." They also claimed to be hitting their stride "After developing program guidance and partnering with states to guide implementation plans."
The White House claimed in an email that the charging network had grown substantially since Biden took office. "More Americans are buying EVs every day — with EV sales rising faster than traditional gas-powered cars — as the President’s Investing in America agenda makes EVs more affordable, helps Americans save money when driving, and makes EV charging accessible and convenient," they said.
The Biden administration also said they expect the rest of the 500,000 charging stations to be completed by 2026.
Letter to Pete Buttigieg by Tommy on Scribd
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