The number of fully-electric vehicles sold has increased significantly in recent years. It is estimated that approximately.7% of all vehicles currently in use are electric. The organization expects the current number of 1.9 million electric vehicles in operation will go up 15-fold by 2030.according to federal data.
Stephanie Brinley, associate director of AutoIntelligence with S&P Global Mobility, noted that it took decades for the U.S. to build enough gas stations to support internal combustion engines. She noted one key difference between gas and electric vehicles is that electric vehicles can be charged at home.
The federal government saysMost electric vehicles can go several hundred miles on a single charge, meaning many drivers won’t need public charging stations regularly.
According to data released Monday“Right now today, you have a perfectly reliable infrastructure and gas station,” Brinley said. Brinley stated that consumers are being asked to make changes. “It is harder in some cases and it may take longer in certain locations. You will see charging increase in urban and non-rural areas and suburban areas where EV rates are higher. You’re more likely to see charging increase in urban and non-rural areas and suburban areas where EV rates are higher.”
While automakers aren’t building gas stations, they are assembling EV infrastructure. General Motors, for example, announced last year that it would work with destinations to install 40,000 EV charging stations within underserved areas. But Brinley noted that there need to be incentives for more businesses to install charging stations.
President Joe Biden announced in September plans to support the building of 500,000 EV charging stations along 53,000 miles of interstate throughout the U.S. Thirty-five states accepted federal grant money for the project.
Brinley noted that the federal government’s role was not to build gas stations. She said that if people are more interested in electric vehicles, the federal government could play a greater role in supporting charging stations. In addition to funding EV stations, the federal government is offering $7,500 credits to those who purchase electric vehicles.
“Ultimately, it is not up to the government to manage the charging infrastructure,” she said. It is not up the government to provide it. What they’ve done is a scenario where they provide funding and there are specific rules that charges have to meet to receive that federal funding.”
While there are concerns that electric vehicles can overwhelm the power grid, automakers have combatted this by making vehicles that can return energy to the power grid. Brinley stated that this is an effective way to keep the power grid in balance during weather spikes. It will take time for this to develop but it is one of the benefits in this situation because your car is an electric storage system. You have energy sitting there.
