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With dozens of new electric vehicle models, including sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks and vans, being released over the next few years, utilities across the nation will be called on to serve a vast network of public charging stations.
“Electric vehicles are evolving rapidly and, as they do, use and charging patterns are shifting and consumers are getting a better understanding of how they can use the vehicles,” says Brett Smith, director of technology for the Center for Automotive Research.
Consumers who are comfortable charging an electric vehicle (EV) at home for around-town trips will demand more places to charge on long drives, Smith says. “You’re going to see the need to really invest in infrastructure over the next five to 10 years.”
As of December 2021, there were about 113,000 charging ports available at 46,090 public charging stations nationwide. The federal government estimates that 500,000 public chargers will be needed by 2030, and it is currently investing $7.5 billion to help build a network of public chargers along major highways and in rural areas. The funding comes from the Investment and Jobs Act passed by Congress and signed into law last November. The Joint Office for Electric Vehicle Charging and Infrastructure, operated by the Department of Energy and the Department of Transportation, is developing a grant program to help states and local partners, including electric co-ops, develop public charging facilities.
The legislation seeks to build public EV charging infrastructure every 50 miles along major travel corridors, and no more than 1 mile from the highway, but also supports building facilities in rural communities, says Brian Sloboda, director of consumer solutions for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
“The focus on local needs will ensure that the college tailgate parties, national parks, highway interchanges, local businesses and county fairs are adequately represented,” he says. “They will place the infrastructure where the people and local businesses are.”
To help consumers find charging stations and plan trips, the DOE’s Alternate Fuels Data Center has developed a Station Locator Tool (SLT) mobile app. During the government’s 2021 fiscal year, the SLT website (afdc.energy.gov) attracted 6 million page views, generated 3,900 app downloads and processed more than 1.3 million searches for EV charging stations.