The deployment of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations funded by USD 5 billion U.S. government program created in 2021 has been excruciatingly slow, with only seven such charging stations currently operational. This snail’s pace has drawn sharp criticism from a Democratic senator, who characterised the progress as “pathetic.”
Automakers and industry experts widely agree that a dramatically expanded network of EV charging stations is crucial for the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, which form a vital part of the Biden Administration’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change.
At a recent Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) committee hearing, Shailen Bhatt, the head of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), revealed that the seven EV charging stations deployed to date under the 2021 program consist of just a few dozen charging ports in total – a paltry number that has raised eyebrows and drawn scathing criticism.
Senator Jeff Merkley did not mince words, lambasting the progress as “pathetic” and declaring, “We’re now three years into this… That is a vast administrative failure. Something is terribly wrong, and it needs to be fixed.” Merkley also took issue with the existing federal highway rules that prohibit the deployment of EV charging stations at rest stops, further hampering the expansion of the charging infrastructure.
Bhatt acknowledged his own frustration with the sluggish deployment, stating that the agency is working diligently with states to address their plans for rolling out EV chargers. “There are a number of problems,” he admitted, pointing to the multiple programs that states must navigate simultaneously.
The sense of urgency surrounding this issue was palpable, with Senate EPW committee chair Tom Carper expressing his intention to hold a dedicated hearing on the slow progress of EV charging deployments. “We want to make sure that the federal money that we have allocated is being used for the right purposes,” Carper emphasised.
Concerns about the implementation of the EV program have been voiced by Republican lawmakers as well, who in February raised alarms over the “little progress” that has been made thus far.
The White House has set an ambitious goal of growing the nationwide network of chargers to 500,000 ports, including high-speed chargers spaced no more than 50 miles apart along the nation’s busiest highways. However, achieving this target will require a significant acceleration in the deployment efforts.
In a recent interview with Reuters, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm acknowledged the challenges involved, stating, “These are the hardest ones to do.” She noted that some areas slated for charging station installations currently lack the necessary electricity infrastructure, further complicating the process. However, Granholm expressed confidence that around 1,000 EV charging stations in public places would be operational by the end of the year, thanks to the federal government program.
Despite the frustrations and challenges, Bhatt remained optimistic about ultimately reaching the 500,000 charging port goal, even as the current pace of deployment has been lambasted as “pathetic” and indicative of a “vast administrative failure.”