A $51M Ride and Drive Electric funding opportunity in Electric Vehicle (EV) charging network were announced by the Biden-Harris Administration. The financing is enabled via President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and targets accelerated electrification in the transport sector, as well as investments in clean transportation by the private sector. Furthermore, announced was also the National Charging Experience Consortium, which aims to enable EV charging access to all Americans with American-made chargers, which are easy to use, reliable, and convenient.
As said by the U.S. Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, “Under President Biden’s leadership, we are creating a new generation of good-paying jobs building the vehicles of the future and the infrastructure that supports them,”, adding that “The EV revolution is well underway, and this funding will help to ensure that every American can access the benefits and count on a reliable EV charging network across the country.”
Moreover, the U.S. Secretary of Energy, Jennifer M. Granholm, commented that “Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we are developing a robust and reliable EV charging network that is accessible in all communities and easy to use for all riders and drivers,”, adding that “Rapidly modernizing and electrifying key parts of our transportation sector is how we’ll meet consumer needs and achieve widespread electrification.”
The electrification of transport is crucial for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reaching carbon neutrality targets. The plan for 500,000 public EV chargers will help to increase the number of EVs on the roads. With the Ride and Drive Electric funding opportunity, achieving this goal will be assisted, as the EV charging will include performance increase, enhanced resilience, and reliability, and will provide fairness in the electrification access and opportunity via community-driven models for EV charging. The funding is provided for validating and testing charging equipment, in addition to advancing new business models for electrified shared mobility and fleet-based services.
