Biden Announces First Round of Funding for Nationwide EV Charging Network – President Biden announces funding for 35 states to begin construction on a nationwide network of 500,000 charging stations at the Detroit Auto Show. President Joe Biden said in a speech at the Detroit Auto Show that the US is ready to start funding states to build a network of electric vehicle chargers.
“Today, I’m pleased to announce we’re approving funding for the first 35 states, including Michigan, to build their own electric charging infrastructure throughout their state,” Biden said. “And y’all are going to be part of a network of 500,000 charging stations throughout the country, installed by the IBEW” — the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
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Biden did not specify how much money will be included in this first round of funding, but it is reportedly $900 million. The funds appear to be the first portion of the $5 billion set aside in the 2021 infrastructure bill for a national electric vehicle charging network.
Biden stated that the goal is to make charging stations “as easy to find as gas stations.” “The great American road trip is going to be fully electrified.” Expanding on that, the overall goal is to rebuild America’s infrastructure and middle class through clean energy investments. Biden has made it clear that he sees this as the next chapter in domestic manufacturing and a way to reverse the decline that has occurred in recent decades.
“For most of the last century, we led the world with our cars,” Biden said. “But something went wrong along the way. We used to invest 2% of our GDP in research and development, and now it’s 0.7%. We’re watching the rest of the world go by.”
American-made electric vehicles and chargers are an important part of Biden’s strategy to help revive the economy and the middle class. The $7,500 EV tax credit included in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 applies only to vehicles manufactured in North America.
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Biden Announces First Round of Funding for Nationwide EV Charging Network – “We’re building a clean energy economy,” Biden said. “The middle class built America, and unions built the middle class. Nowhere is that more evident than here in Michigan, where we are building the future of the electric vehicle.”
Of course, he didn’t forget to mention that he’s “a car guy.” Prior to his speech, he also had a chance to walk the Detroit Auto Show floor to check out all the new EVs announced at the show, from brands like Jeep and Chevrolet.
