Charging electric vehicles will be political
The question is whether every local government is willing to invest in areas where federal funding may be lacking. “The next 10 years [in EV charging] it’s all about urban environments, cities, low- and middle-income people,” Reig said. In a world where electric vehicles have become political lightning rods, those places may see the most charging activity.
Electric vehicle charging as bipartisan
Many people would prefer it if electric vehicles—and their chargers—could avoid the culture wars altogether. Joe Sacks is executive director of the bipartisan EV Politics Project, an advocacy group, and says having more public chargers on the ground is critical to getting more electricity on the road. The group’s surveys show that customer concerns about electric vehicle range and unreliable charging networks are keeping some of them from buying electricity.
Tolling companies are still in their early stages and some are struggling to operate as profit-making businesses. Charger funding barriers, then, could be an almost existential concern for the industry. “There is a scary trend where electric vehicle funding is seen by some in the incoming administration as low-hanging fruit,” Sacks said. Some political operators “use electric vehicle sanctions as a tool to enact whatever policy they find interesting. That makes us uncomfortable.”
For those who depend on federal charging dollars, even during a less than enthusiastic Trump administration, there is some good news: It will be very difficult for the feds to get back full funding for that federal charger . The government does Satisfied allocated at least $3.5 billion in deposits for states. Forty-two states have begun accepting bids for charger supply contracts, and 12 states have at least one station in operation. Those states span the political spectrum: Texas, Utah, Kentucky and Ohio all voted Republican this October and are leading the way in building chargers. So did Democratic states including New York, California, Rhode Island and Maine.
“There is broad support for electrification among a range of important stakeholders,” said Jason Mathers, vice president of the zero-emissions truck initiative at the Environmental Defense Fund. Manufacturers, labor unions, community organizations, politicians want more electric vehicle jobs in their areas, and major companies are testing electric vehicles, including Walmart and Amazon, There are reasons to want chargers in the ground. Advocates like Mathers don’t believe those constituencies will disappear simply because of a change in administration – meaning pressure to build a tolling network will continue.
Sacks, director of the EV Politics Project, said multiple messages related to EV charging will appeal to politicians of all stripes. “We want the Trump administration to see that the electric vehicle transition is not only important for jobs here but also for maintain our competitiveness compared to China.”
For example, Sacks is heartened that the Trump administration appears to want to invest in the domestic battery minerals industry. (Today, much of the mining and processing of battery materials takes place overseas, especially in China.) To create demand for that kind of industry, more Americans will need to buy electric vehicles — and they might not be able to do that without plenty of EV chargers around. Ensuring that all Americans have access to those new chargers, not just those who live in specific “electric vehicle friendly” states, could help convey that message.
