Slow Pace and Wasted Funds in EV Charging Plans

December 6, 2023

In 2021, the trillion-dollar infrastructure package, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), included billions of dollars to construct a nationwide electric vehicle (EV) charging network. Now, two years later, not one usable charger has been built. 

Fox News reports,  

Overall, the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) earmarked $7.5 billion for electric vehicle chargers – $5 billion for the so-called National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program and another $2.5 billion in discretionary funds for charging and fueling infrastructure – as part of the federal government’s ambitious effort to expand EV ownership and reduce carbon emissions. However, just $101.5 million has been distributed for seven state NEVI awards and just two projects, located in Columbus, Ohio, and Pittston, Pennsylvania, have begun construction, according to the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation which was established by the IIJA. At its current pace, the billion-dollar program, designed to build out a network of 500,000 chargers and award $5 billion in five years, will fund a handful of projects and dish out just $250 million in that time frame.

This comes just a few days after a nationwide coalition of auto dealers asked the Biden Administration to slow down the electric vehicle mandates. The United States does not have the infrastructure for EVs, and the American people don’t want them. The billions of tax-payer dollars that have been wasted is shameful. This situation emphasizes the necessity for accountability of government spending to ensure that taxpayer funds are utilized efficiently and effectively.