Former President Donald Trump has been making inaccurate claims about the Biden administration’s spending on electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Trump has repeatedly stated that the Biden administration spent $9 billion to build only eight charging stations, but this is not accurate. The $7.5 billion approved by Congress is intended to help build a network of EV chargers across the U.S. over five years, with the funds expected to help build thousands of charging stations and more than 30,000 individual charging ports.
As of mid-August, the funds that have been deployed have helped produce 61 charging ports at 15 stations, with another 14,900 ports in progress. Despite this progress, Trump has continued to spread misinformation about electric vehicle infrastructure, exaggerating the costs of building EV chargers on multiple occasions.
While some news outlets have reported on the slow pace of the program, criticizing the Biden administration for only producing a small number of stations, it is important to note that not all the funds have been spent yet. The federal funding is expected to result in a significant increase in the number of charging stations and ports across the country.
Experts in transportation and mobility technology have debunked Trump’s claims, stating that his calculations are not accurate. The $7.5 billion allocated by Congress is expected to result in up to 20,000 charging spots or around 5,000 stations, with even more charging stations and ports possible with additional funding.
The Biden administration’s goal is to have 500,000 chargers by 2030, with a combination of public and private funding. As of August, there were over 65,000 public station locations in the U.S. with a total of nearly 180,000 EV charging ports.
The funding process for building EV chargers involves multiple programs, including the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program. States are in various stages of deploying the funding received, with plans to rapidly increase the number of charging stations and ports across the country.
While Trump has criticized the Biden administration’s approach to EV infrastructure, experts and government officials have explained that the rollout of the program has been complex due to various factors, including the creation of guidelines, standards, and partnerships with states.
Overall, the Biden administration’s plan for EV infrastructure is a significant undertaking that is expected to result in a substantial increase in the number of charging stations and ports nationwide. Despite Trump’s claims, the funding allocated by Congress is aimed at expanding the EV charging network and promoting the adoption of electric vehicles in the U.S.