In order to combat climate change, increase access to clean energies and reduce oil dependency, the Obama Administration is taking actions to accelerate the deployment of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in order to increase electric car adoption in the U.S.
The federal government is unlocking up to $4.5 billion in loan guarantees to support the commercial-scale deployment of EV charging facilities. The government plans to identify zero emission and alternate fuel corridors in order to develop a vision of a national network of EV fast-charging stations by 2020.
The Obama Administration will also use funds to gather an EV fleet and will see 35 new businesses, non-profits, universities and utilities signing on to the Department of Energy’s Workplace Charging Challenge that provides EV charging access for their workforce.
The Administration seeks to increase the number of EVs on the road, but also the number of charging stations countrywide in order to help ease driver anxiety over an electric car running out of power on a long journey without a charging station close by. The number of charging stations has increased to more than 16,000 in the U.S. today, up from fewer than 500 in 2008—a 40-fold increase. In the past eight years, the number of plug-in EV models increased from just one to more than 20 in the U.S. while battery costs have dropped by 70%.
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