DOE announces $51M in funding for Electric Vehicle Charging Network
The U.S. Department of Energy announced Thursday that it was making available $51 million in funding for the nation’s Electric Vehicle Charging Network through the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation.
The Ride and Drive Electric funding opportunity, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is intended to accelerate the electrification of the transportation sector and spur investment into clean transportation.
Additionally, the DOE announced the launch of the National Charging Experience Consortium that will work to ensure the charging experience for all Americans is convenient, reliable, equitable and easy to use, while making sure all chargers are made in America. DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory has been tapped to lead the consortium.
The announcements, the joint office said, support President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda to grow the American economy through infrastructure investments that create good paying jobs and build a clean energy economy.
“Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we are developing a robust and reliable EV charging network that is accessible in all communities and easy to use for all riders and drivers,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “Rapidly modernizing and electrifying key parts of our transportation sector is how we’ll meet consumer needs and achieve widespread electrification.”
Officials said the Ride and Drive Electric funding opportunity will increase the reliability of chargers by providing funding to validate and test equipment, while advancing new business models for electrified share mobility and fleet-based services.
The National Charging Experience Consortium (ChargeX), led by the Idaho National Laboratory, the Argonne National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, will work to develop solutions to ensure reliable charging experiences. The consortium will collaborate with more than 30 companies and organizations across the EV charging industry on usability and accessibility issues.
