The latest count of public EV chargers has swelled to 192,000. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, this number has doubled since the Biden administration took office and is continuing to grow at a rapid rate of 1,000 new chargers every week.
Along with the announcement comes the awarding of $521 million in grants to further expand charging access across the U.S. highway system. This includes 29 states, the District of Columbia, and two Federally Recognized Tribes—a total of 9,200 new EV charging ports.
“The Biden-Harris Administration has been clear about America leading the EV revolution, and thanks to the historic infrastructure package, we’re building a nationwide EV charger network to make sure all drivers have an accessible, reliable, and convenient way to charge their vehicles,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. “The awards that we’re announcing today will build on this important work and will help ensure that the cost savings, health and climate benefits, and jobs of the EV future are secured for Americans across the country.”
The growth rate is rather impressive, actually. In mid-January, the U.S. government reported more than 169,000 chargers were deployed and online, meaning a 14% growth in just seven months. The number of chargers deployed weekly has also grown by 11%—from 900 to 1,000—during the same period.
We each can only speak to our experience and mine is the opposite. I can charge from home, and I just got back from a 1,200+ mile road trip where I found plenty of superchargers. It worked out really well. However parts of my road trip were rural and I definitely worried about whether I’d find enough chargers. If I was at a charger with a line, that would be frustrating but nowhere near as worrisome as not finding a charger.
I didn’t choose my car based on lines but being able to go where I want to go. Yes please, chargers in all those rural places even if they’re not widely used yet. Let’s help everyone be able to drive their EV there