By Rachel Koning Beals
The White House said this move should be accompanied by revived interest in Congress to provide tax credits that make EVs more affordable and ease gasoline price pressure
The Biden administration will use $7.5 billion in funds from the infrastructure law to try to standardize for all users the 500,000 electric-vehicle charging stations the president has already pledged, the White House announced Thursday.
Without strong standards, chargers would be less reliable, may not work for all cars, or lack common payment methods, for instance, accepting only certain pre-paid apps at the point of purchase. Chargers must also be accessible no matter which state a driver is in, the Biden team said.
“To support the transition to electric vehicles, we must build a national charging network that makes finding a charge as easy as filling up at a gas station,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, in a release. “These new ground rules will help create a network of EV chargers across the country that are convenient, affordable, reliable and accessible for all Americans.”
The administration is relying on private-sector interests to help build out a network that experts say will have to grow much larger than the 500,000 to ever fully replace gas-powered vehicles. In addition to limitations across payment methods, the EV world currently operates with three standards to charging your vehicle based on varying speed and power. Many users…
