The Biden administration plans to build 500,000 new EV stations by 2030. By this time, the country also projects that 35 million EVs will be zipping through their roads and highways, the Business Insider reports.
A researcher estimates that for every 10-15 EVs, one charging station is needed. Based on Biden’s plan, this will cover 5 to 7.5 million EVs.
According to the article, the country has 1.8 battery-powered cars on the road and just over 100 thousand charging stations found in 41 thousand public locations.
If the government plans to achieve zero emissions by 2050, it must transition fast to electric vehicles and build more EV infrastructure.
The Washington Post reports that America investing in electric vehicle infrastructure is part of its $2.3 Trillion Infrastructure investment. $621 billion will go to transportation infrastructure, where $174 billion will be spent to boost the uptake of electric vehicles in the country to reduce the country’s carbon footprint and assist in the transition to clean energy.
The article says because EVs take longer to charge, between 30 minutes to 20 hours than the traditional gas or diesel-fueled cars, it pays to have many public charging stations available.
Also, having plentiful charging stations can overcome Americans’ “range anxiety” or the fear of running out of ‘juice’ before getting into the next charging spot, which can also be a barrier for them to buy electric cars in the first place.
Authorities will install these additional charging stations in public spaces, work areas, and go-to places across the states such as retail stores, hotels, malls, groceries, offices, schools, or anywhere place people park for at least an hour.
According to EV-Resource (2020), charging stations in the US comes in three levels.
- Level 1 is the slowest kind, the 110–120-volt outlet found in most American homes and used to charge their electric cars overnight or up to 20 hours.
- Level 2 charging uses a 220-240v connection, significantly faster than L1, and gives you 10-50 miles of range per hour of charging.
- Level 3 is known as DC fast charging and it’s for those who need to charge fast and travels long distances. Charging can take between 10 to 60 minutes. Tesla has the largest network of this type and has been installed along most of the US’s main interstates and frequently traveled routes.
Benefits of EV Charging Stations to Businesses
According to Grist, although businesses may have to shoulder the installation costs of an EV charging station, having them can be good for your business. Mike Nicholas, a researcher at the International Council on Clean Transportation, says businesses that install charges can receive federal tax credits or direct rebates or funding from the government to help companies with their installation expenses.
A finding from a company that operates a network of EV stations across the US says that when businesses have charging stations, their EV customers stay longer than regular customers. And for every minute they stay, they spend an average of $1 per minute.
According to the article, workplaces or offices can also offer EV charging stations as perks for their employees. Perhaps what is missing from the reports is what will power these vast numbers of EV charging stations.
Data from the US Energy Information Administration in 2020 says that natural gas is America’s biggest energy source at 40%, followed by nuclear 20%, renewables 20%, and coal 19%. Assuming that it will be powered by natural gas, then it will still emit carbon dioxide.
Although according to the UCUSA article, emissions from natural gas will be 50% to 60% less carbon dioxide when combusted using new technologies.
Another concern for the massive construction of EV infrastructure is maintenance and making sure that every charging station continues to provide an acceptable level of service.
The US already struggles to update and improve its existing and aging infrastructure; hopefully, the EV infrastructure will not follow the same fate.
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