The United States has revealed its EV infrastructure plan, that includes four fast chargers every 50 miles.

 Over the next five years, the federal government will begin distributing $5 billion to states to establish a statewide network of fast chargers. Initially, the proposal concentrates on the Interstate Highway System, with states being directed to construct one charging station every 50 miles. Those stations must be able to charge at least four EVs at 150 kW at the same time.

United States has revealed its EV infrastructure plan, that includes four fast chargers every 50 miles.

 

States will be able to apply for funding to plug any gaps in the Interstate charging network once it is completed. If, for example, no grid connection is available nearby, the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, a new body formed to assist the Transportation and Energy Departments in administering the programme, will grant case-by-case exclusions to the 50-mile restriction. 

The initial funding for the Interstate element of the programme will be dispersed according to a formula similar to how federal highway monies are handled. $615 million will be available to create charging stations beginning in fiscal year 2022, and $300 million will be set aside to establish the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. Each year, ten percent of the cash will be used to close gaps in the network.

Following the introduction of the original $5 billion scheme, another $2.5 billion in discretionary funding will be available to help establish chargers in rural and underserved areas.

States must verify that the charging stations are reliable—at least one charger per station must be operational more than 97 percent of the time—and that their impact on the electric grid is minimised in their plans submitted to the federal government. States must also construct stations in such a way that they can be easily extended and updated as demand and charging prices rise. States are also encouraged to place chargers near travel centres, convenience stores, visitor centres, or restaurants under the new scheme.

States must install chargers that use the Combined Charging System, popularly known as CCS, to receive credit for their Interstate build-out. With the exception of the Nissan Leaf, most EV models sold in the United States are compatible with this plug type. Despite the fact that Tesla vehicles have their own plug type, the company is said to be working on an adapter that will allow at least portion of its North American fleet to use CCS fast chargers. (That adaptor is already available in South Korea.)

The new scheme also favours American charger production, which has already prompted some manufacturers to establish operations in the United States. Tritium, an Australian firm that supplies ChargePoint with some fast chargers, announced earlier this week that it will build a factory in Tennessee that would be capable of producing 30,000 DC fast chargers per year. Siemens also intends to grow its presence in the United States so that it can produce up to 1 million chargers per year by 2025.

How consumers will pay for charging is one area where the new approach now falls short. Most non-Tesla EV owners have a number of apps on their phones (or keychain fobs) that allow them to connect to various charging networks. It's inconvenient to say the least.

The new program represents a significant down payment on President Joe Biden’s pledge to create a network of 500,000 charging stations across the US by 2030. If that plan comes to fruition, it should help speed the country’s transition to EVs while slashing carbon emissions from transportation.

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