As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and Bidenomics, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing new actions to lower the cost of electric vehicles (EVs) for Americans and build a convenient, reliable, Made-in-America EV charging network. Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the Biden-Harris Administration is already delivering major progress to electrify the great American road trip. Since the President took office, EV sales have more than quadrupled, with more than four and a half million EVs on the road. EV ownership is more affordable than ever before, with prices down over 20% from one year ago. The number of publicly available charging ports has also grown by over 70 percent, with 170,000 publicly available EV chargers across the country, putting us on track to deploy 500,000 chargers by 2026 – achieving the President’s goal four years early.
To continue building on this unprecedented progress, today, the Department of Treasury and the Department of Energy are releasing intended definitions for eligible census tracts that will confirm that the Inflation Reduction Act’s 30C EV charging tax credit is available to approximately two-thirds of Americans. This tax credit provides up to 30% off the cost of the charger to individuals and businesses in low-income communities and non-urban areas, making it more affordable to install EV charging infrastructure and increasing access to EV charging in underserved communities.
In addition, the Departments of Transportation and Energy are announcing $325 million in new investments this week across three programs to increase the reliability and resilience of publicly accessible chargers, advance EV technologies, and support workforce development for EV charging deployment and maintenance. This new funding for EV chargers will repair and replace existing, non-operational chargers across the country; reduce costs for deploying charging in underserved communities; and cut battery costs. These investments follow the $623 million in awards announced last week to deploy public charging in communities and fill gaps in the national network.
The Administration’s historic investments in EV technologies are also spurring private companies to invest alongside the federal government in EV charging. More than $25 billion of investment in the U.S. EV charging network has been announced to date, including more than $10 billion from the private sector. And under President Biden’s leadership, the U.S. EV charging manufacturing footprint has grown from almost nothing to a robust and thriving sector. Just three years ago, there was almost no U.S.-based production of fast chargers, but since President Biden took office, at least 40 U.S.-based EV charger factories have been announced or opened. These facilities now have the capacity to produce more than a million chargers each year—including 60,000 fast chargers.
The Biden-Harris Administration is making it easier and cheaper for Americans to ride and drive electric – and to ensure that the EV future benefits American workers and families. But Republicans in Congress are trying to thwart this progress by passing a measure that would eliminate the federal government’s strong domestic manufacturing standards for EV chargers. The President has pledged to veto this resolution, which would hurt American workers, undermine domestic manufacturing, and benefit competitor nations like the People’s Republic of China.
Announcements made today and recently are the latest proof that while Republicans in Congress try to undermine historic progress, President Biden is delivering for Americans and the country. See below for more about how the Biden-Harris Administration is building an EV charging network that benefits communities everywhere:
- Lowering Costs for Installing EV Chargers: Today, the Department of Treasury is releasing a notice of intent to propose regulations related to the 30C tax credit, re-enacted by the Inflation Reduction Act, which plays an important role in lowering costs for EV owners and encouraging EV adoption. The tax credit provides up to 30% off the cost of the charger to individuals and businesses in eligible census tracts. Today’s announcement proposes definitions for eligible census tracts that will clarify eligibility of the tax credit to approximately two-thirds of the U.S. population – focusing on those in low-income communities and non-urban areas. Alongside Treasury’s guidance, the Department of Energy (DOE) is releasing a mapping tool to help households and businesses quickly identify whether they are eligible for the tax credit under the proposed regulations.
- Strengthening the Foundation for the EV Charging Industry: Today, the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation announced over $46 million in awards through their Ride and Drive Electric program to continue building a convenient, affordable, reliable, and equitable EV charging network that benefits diverse American workers. As part of the awards, for example, Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc., is receiving funding to recruit and prepare people from all backgrounds – including underrepresented minorities and women – for electrical apprenticeships, and train diverse IBEW Local 48 electricians with Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP) certification, while the Research Foundation for SUNY at the University of Buffalo is receiving funding to develop a resiliency plan for New Jersey Transit electrification.
- Increasing EV Charging Reliability and Accessibility: Yesterday, the Department of Transportation announced nearly $149 million in grants to repair or replace existing but non-operational EV chargers. This announcement is critical to ensure the reliability of the existing network of EV chargers, and will put nearly 4,500 EV charging ports back online.
- Advancing EV Technologies Through Research and Development: Yesterday, the Department of Energy announced over $131 million in funding for research, development, and technology integration projects for zero-emission vehicles and mobility; and for an advanced battery R&D consortium. This funding builds on the $32 million announced by DOE for the same program earlier this month. Projects include reducing costs such as permitting and utility interconnection to improve EV charging infrastructure in underserved communities, providing consumer information on EVs and EV charging, and developing batteries that use low-cost, abundant materials.
- Opening Federally Funded EV Charging Stations Across the Country: States are accelerating progress on deploying EV chargers using federal formula funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s NEVI (National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) program. To date, nearly $2.4 billion has been made available through the NEVI program. Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania have all brought NEVI-funded chargers online in the last several weeks. States like Maine and Vermont will soon follow, having recently broken ground on their own NEVI-funded sites.
- Delivering Grants to School Districts to Purchase Clean Buses: Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $1 billion for the purchase of over 2,700 clean school buses in 280 school districts across 37 states. To date, EPA’s Clean School Bus Program has awarded nearly $2 billion and funded approximately 5,000 electric and low-emission school buses across the country.
- Deploying Chargers in Communities to Fill Gaps in the National Network: Also last week, the Department of Transportation announced $623 million in Charging and Fueling Infrastructure grants to help build out an EV charging network across the U.S. Half of this funding is going to 36 projects in communities that will invest in EV charging and hydrogen fueling infrastructure in urban and rural communities in convenient locations like schools, parks, libraries, multi-family housing, and more. These chargers are especially critical for people who live in multifamily homes and don’t have access to home charging options. The other half is going to 11 projects along corridors to fill gaps in the national charging and alternative fueling network.
- Making EVs More Affordable at the Dealer: On average, EVs are now 20 percent cheaper than they were one year ago. As of January 1st, Americans can get up to $7,500 off the sticker price of many of the new electric vehicles eligible for the Inflation Reduction Act’s 30D New Clean Vehicle Tax Credit, and up to $4,000 off the price of a used EV for vehicles eligible for the 25E Used Clean Vehicle Credit. Already, over 9,500 dealers across the country have registered with IRS Energy Credits Online, most of which also registered to provide this tax credit at the point of sale.
Additionally, as a result of the Biden-Harris Administration’s leadership, more than a dozen private companies have announced major commitments to expand EV charging. See a list of commitments here.
JANUARY 19 2024 BRIEFING ROOM – STATEMENTS AND RELEASES. WHITE HOUSE. WASHINGTON, DC
SOURCE: WH.GOV – MIDTOWN TRIBUNE NEWS
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