autoevolution
 

Charge Everywhere! Historical $5Bln EV Infrastructure Investment Plan, Enabled

The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) is here to steer you away from your combustion engine cars and help you gain confidence in electric cars (EVs). But it’ll take five years, just so you know. And, of course, there’s a small catch.
NEVI plan for easy American EV charging on interstate and highways 7 photos
Photo: Sophie Jonas on Unsplash
NEVI Federal Charging Investment PlanNEVI Federal Charging Investment PlanNEVI Federal Charging Investment PlanNEVI Federal Charging Investment PlanNEVI Federal Charging Investment PlanNEVI Federal Charging Investment Plan
There’s no denying that public support and government help was needed to make EVs more appealing. Tesla managed to do its own (good!) thing with the Supercharger network, but the problem is Elon Musk never thought about sharing the company’s investment with others on a large scale. Truth be told, why would he? Tesla’s just fine on its own.

Different, if not all, manufacturers are joining in on the EV craze now. It was clear since 2019 that the push for personal and commercial transportation without emissions meant a substantial change had to be made. People cannot be expected to use only their homes for charging their vehicles. At the same time, companies can’t spend more money on EVs and then some more on chargers. That would mean already expensive EVs getting even more pricier. Furthermore, there is not much carmakers can do together with other entities like Electrify America.

Unlike Europeans, American-elected officials knew that internal combustion (ICE) cars will still play a significant role in the years to come. You can’t blame people for liking their V6s/I6s, V8s, V10s and/or V12s. As it stands today, the engine running on gasoline will remain important and it will have at least a decade and a half more of real-world usability. Also, carmakers will have enough time to properly train and reorganize their workforce, thus avoiding hasty restructuring.

NEVI Federal Charging Investment Plan
Photo: Ernest Ojeh on Unsplash
The choice policy makers had to make here was simple: give as many incentives as possible and let the switch to EV happen on its own. Fortunately for Americans, this is the right way to go.

NEVI will remove some of your worries about charging

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), these $5 billion will be made available to states over the span of five years. Washington decide to create Alternative Fuel Corridors with this money. This means charging stations will be made available nation-wide along the Interstate Highway System. The start is a bit shy, for this year the allocation being only $615 million.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, “a century ago, America ushered in the modern automotive era; now America must lead the electric vehicle revolution.” And this happening, folks. We will soon be able to charge everywhere. The only missing piece is the cost per kWh. It will be interesting to find out what NEVI will mean for people who gave up on ICE cars. Who’ll end up paying more? Electricity isn’t cheap.

According to the plan, new charging stations can’t be more than 50 miles apart, they will have to remain permanently open to the public and must have at least 600 kW of charging capability per location. DC fast charging will be provided! Rules also say stations must have more than one vendor and not be more than 1 mile away from the Interstate or highways exits.

What's the catch?

There isn’t a real one. Being that a bipartisan law led to this moment, it is clear elected officials wanted to provide an Eisenhower-like moment. Restructuring the whole national transport system isn’t something easy to do, but after this huge public investment we might just see a real change at street, state, and federal level.

NEVI Federal Charging Investment Plan
Photo: myenergi on Unsplash
However, Washington didn’t want to infringe on states’ limited autonomy for obvious political reasons. That’s why every governor must start working on a plan with his team and must cover 20% of the whole cost. Also, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act comprises the new charging network plan, so this is yet another reason for President Biden to let U.S. states choose how and when they want to start work.

Because in 2022 NEVI will allow for a maximum federal spread of $615 million, a formula program was enacted that already tells states how much they can get. As you may have guessed already, Texas gets the big bucks: $60.35 million. The southerners are followed by Californians. They will receive $56.78 million. There are 10 months left. We'll see who uses the money faster and wiser.

USDOT already prepared a new website for officials to begin work as soon as possible on what are called EV Infrastructure Deployment Plans. These documents will be used to approve necessary funding as fast as possible.

For all intents and purposes, The White House is now convinced the future of the auto industry is electric. By 2030, Biden wants 50% of all new vehicles sold to be electric or plug-in hybrid electric models and 500,000 new EV charging stations. This plan is not just a helping hand for customers or companies that rely on transport activities, but a clear support for American automakers in their endeavor for creating the best electric cars.

NEVI won’t be the only program meant to electrify the country. The Biden administration will soon announce another financial package meant to develop a NEVI-like system for rural and underserved communities.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)

Editor's note: Gallery shows photos of different kind of chargers.

press release
About the author: Florin Amariei
Florin Amariei profile photo

Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories