Continued investments
Funds from the IRA and BIL are still being doled out for clean transportation and EV projects across the nation. Alaska, which has some of the most sparse EV infrastructure in the nation, is slated to receive the most federal funding per capita among projects announced so far. That includes $31.5 million for EV infrastructure projects.
Other highlights for ongoing federal funding include several of the states surrounding Lake Michigan, which joined into an agreement to build out EV charging infrastructure along the lake's coastline for seamless EV travel and tourism. Maine is another major recipient, with funds largely centered around electrifying its school bus fleets.
The laws providing these funds came to fruition under the Biden administration, but ultimately received bipartisan support. Meanwhile, President-elect Trump has been vocal on the campaign trail about reversing EV initiatives. His plan to eliminate the tax credit for people who buy EVs is supported by some oil industry leaders, as well as Tesla CEO Elon Musk, as it would hurt competitors in the EV space, according to New York Times reporting. However, major organizations representing U.S. carmakers and auto workers oppose eliminating the credit.
Reuters reports that Trump and his energy allies think some clean energy policies will be more challenging to cut, as they are pumping money into Republican-run states where Trump won at the polls—with infrastructure projects in Trump-supporting Alaska, Michigan, and Indiana chief among them.
Musk has scorned federal EV infrastructure spending in the past, despite Tesla being the recipient of substantial funds from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program. At the moment, it remains unclear where the incoming administration will land on funding for EV charging.
Regardless, any cuts to Biden-era EV policies will raise costs for EV owners and slow their adoption. With less government support for EVs in general, it's unlikely that infrastructure will continue to follow the current growth trajectory. Maintenance of existing public chargers could also drop off as subsidies and industry growth stalls.
Overall, current trends may lead to a much bleaker picture for EV charging in four years' time.
Story editing by Alizah Salario. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Tim Bruns.
This story originally appeared on Truck Parking Club and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
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