The U.S. is lacking in providing EV chargers in populated places other than city centers and suburban areas.
Here are some possible solutions for this problem.
1. Have companies bring their own EV chargers
We all know that Tesla is currently the most well-known name when it comes tot6 electric cars. However, companies like Volkswagen’s Electrify America have already begun on a proposed plan back in 2017 with their Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) investment plan. Based out of Reston, Virginia, Energy America’s plan is made up of several cycles that include introducing and education about the benefits of electric cars and developing charging stations that can create a “nationwide network of convenient, reliable community and highway chargers.” (electrifyamerica.com/our-plan/)
Currently, Electrify America is the only subsidiary company from an established car brand to have filed their plans with the Department of Energy in the U.S. However, with other U.S. car companies like Chevrolet and Nissan rolling out electric car models, they may want to follow in Volkswagen’s footsteps. Aside from Tesla, Electrify America is the biggest competitor to unveil plans for charging stations.
2. The federal government should invest in EV charging infrastructure.
The biggest problem with this idea is that there are those that think that the federal government shouldn’t invest because it would be wasteful and that the private sector would end up building it up anyway. However, the Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability (ARCS) implemented their own “convolutional neural network (CNN) to classify the consumer reviews automatically. The result provided us with the ability to merge consumer sentiment scores with spatial information about precise station locations and amenities.” (Oscar Asensio, ARCS) After implementing their CNN, ARCS found that private areas such as retail spaces, workplaces, and other non-residential areas were performing less than government properties like city halls.
“When our government subsidizes markets, it kills innovation and diverts private sector investments away from where there is actual consumer demand.” (Dan Laursen, powelltribune.com)
3. Setting goals based on targets the U.S. aimed to accomplish when part of the Paris Agreement.
Now that the U.S. is joining the Paris Agreement again, our government can work towards the goals they had in place before they left.
There are several ways that the government can do this, such as :
- Supplement 14 million new electric vehicles to the U.S. market along with 330,000 new charging stations by 2025.
- Supplying funds to each state to further close the $2.3 billion gap for EV investment.
If you asked someone on the street which states they think had the most EV chargers, they’d reply with states such as Washington, California, Texas and Nevada as examples of states that have invested in EV chargers.
They aren’t wrong.
In her article, “Investing in Charging Infrastructure for Plug-In Electric Vehicles”, Lia Cattaneo outlines how “Washington, D.C., has nearly all of the Level 2 chargers it needs to contribute to the United States’ emissions reduction goals, but no other state is above 50 percent. No state—including Washington, D.C.—has more than a third of the DC fast chargers needed by 2025, and Alaska and North Dakota still have no DC fast chargers.” (Cattaneo, Center for American Progress)
If the Paris agreement is anything to go by, then the U.S. government should start devising ways to invest in EV charging stations for those states and others outlined above.
4 The U.S. Imlementing Government Policies to Promote Electric Vehicles and Chargers
It might be surprising to some, but back in 1993 during the Bush Sr. administration, the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) program was formed for cooperative research between the government, U.S. laboratories, and auto corporations. Even though the program dissolved in 2001 during the Clinton administration, research into EV fuel cells was underway during the Bush administration, with President Bush proclaiming in 2003, “the first car driven by a child born today could be powered by hydrogen, and pollution-free.”
After almost 20 years later, there’s still much left to accomplish for EV chargers to become mass produced, however, here’s a few ways that the government can enact policies for EV promotion:
- More research into battery and fuel cell technology to bring down costs for EV and hybrid vehicles that can also lower the current level of CO2 emissions.
- Congress to agree on a carbon tax that would prompt people to look towards EV and hybrid vehicles.
- As metropolitan areas become more populated, placing a heavier emphasis on EV chargers will help stave off air pollution and smog in the surrounding area.
- Having the government use EV, HEV, and hybrid vehicles for military or federal use.
Hopefully, as renewable energy continues to grow in the world, the U.S. can see that it’s beneficial on many levels to invest more for everyone’s benefit.
What do you think the U.S. government should do about investing in EV infrastructure?
If you want to learn more about EnergyAmerica’s goal for investing in EV infrastructure, click the link below to read their mission.
https://www.electrifyamerica.com/our-plan/
Check out these links below if you want to learn more about EV opinions concerning the government.
https://www.powelltribune.com/stories/congress-should-not-fund-electric-car-charging-stations,20849
