Article updated on
The plan to add 500,000 chargers across the US was just gaining momentum as Biden left office. Experts say it’s in the states’ hands now.
If you own an electric vehicle — or if you’re even thinking about owning an EV — you’ve probably given a good amount of thought to where you will charge it.
The most convenient option is to charge at home, but a network of public charging stations would open up EV ownership to a much wider audience and go a long way in reducing “range anxiety” for longer trips.
That was the impetus behind President Joe Biden’s push to build 500,000 public chargers across the US by 2030. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed in 2021, included $5 billion for this purpose.
But four years later, few chargers have been put in the ground, and the new Trump administration is openly antagonistic toward EVs. So what happens now?
Here’s what experts say we can expect going forward.
How did the federal government plan to build all those chargers?
Well, by delegating the task to individual states.
The $5 billion set aside in the infrastructure law funds something called the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program. All of that money was earmarked to go to state-level departments of transportation, which were then tasked with building public charging stations.
The program is structured to give out $1 billion per year, between 2022 and 2026, meaning much of the money has already been distributed to states.
Before they could spend any of the money, however, they had to spend a year putting together a plan for federal approval. Then they had to spend time awarding contracts to private companies that can build the chargers, according to Aubrey Gunnels, CEO and co-founder at 3V Infrastructure, an investment firm that supports EV charging.
Read more: Is EV Charging Cheaper Than Gasoline?
How many chargers have been built so far?
Not that many. According to an Associated Press report from November, some 214 chargers have been built so far using money from the NEVI program, with another 24,800 projects underway.
But while this number might seem low, experts say it’s par for the course with such a complex program.
“Whenever there’s change, there’s a learning curve,” said Elaina Farnsworth, CEO of SkillFusion, an organization that trains electrical workers.
State transportation departments are mainly used to building roads and highways, not installing EV chargers en masse. And it’s not as simple as putting an electrical box in the ground. There are also software systems to set up, cybersecurity issues to deal with and ongoing maintenance demands. And while states were given money to build the chargers, many do not have the staff to manage the project.
It’s “a legal nightmare, a construction nightmare,” Gunnels said. “Of course it took four years to get this going.”
What happens now?
Experts predict that, because most of the money has already been given to states, the NEVI program will continue to roll out.
Could the federal government claw money back from the states? “That would be surprising to me,” Gunnels said.
It is possible, however, that the federal government could pause future payments. Trump specifically tried to put a 90-day hold on the NEVI program in his executive order blocking all federal grants, but he later rescinded the order in response to widespread backlash.
And again, states already have a large chunk of money to continue implementing the projects that have taken years to get in motion. “They’re still gonna have that money,” Farnsworth said.
“Naturally, we expect more NEVI stations to open in 2025,” Max Reid, principal analyst at Wood Mackenzie, said in a press release. “The pace of charging infrastructure deployment should remain unchanged in early 2025.”
How can I find a charger near me?
You don’t have to wait for the federal and state governments to get their act together. There are already lots of charging options. Here are some tips:
- If you want a reliable place to charge your EV, consider adding a charger at home if you have a place to park your vehicle. Check out CNET’s list of the best home chargers and decide whether you should hire a pro or do it yourself.
- If you’re curious about the charging network in your area, check out this map of publicly accessible EV charging stations.
- Think about whether it’s cheaper for you to charge at home or at a public charger. While your at-home electricity rate will likely be lower than a public charging rate, don’t forget that installing an at-home charger involves some upfront costs.
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Zendure’s mobile EV charger accessory
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What happens now?
Experts predict that, because most of the money has already been given to states, the NEVI program will continue to roll out.
Could the federal government claw money back from the states? “That would be surprising to me,” Gunnels said.
It is possible, however, that the federal government could pause future payments. Trump specifically tried to put a 90-day hold on the NEVI program in his executive order blocking all federal grants, but he later rescinded the order in response to widespread backlash.
And again, states already have a large chunk of money to continue implementing the projects that have taken years to get in motion. “They’re still gonna have that money,” Farnsworth said.
“Naturally, we expect more NEVI stations to open in 2025,” Max Reid, principal analyst at Wood Mackenzie, said in a press release. “The pace of charging infrastructure deployment should remain unchanged in early 2025.”
How can I find a charger near me?
You don’t have to wait for the federal and state governments to get their act together. There are already lots of charging options. Here are some tips:
- If you want a reliable place to charge your EV, consider adding a charger at home if you have a place to park your vehicle. Check out CNET’s list of the best home chargers and decide whether you should hire a pro or do it yourself.
- If you’re curious about the charging network in your area, check out this map of publicly accessible EV charging stations.
- Think about whether it’s cheaper for you to charge at home or at a public charger. While your at-home electricity rate will likely be lower than a public charging rate, don’t forget that installing an at-home charger involves some upfront costs.
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Mike De Socio is a CNET contributor who writes about energy, personal finance and climate change. He’s also the author of the nonfiction book, “Morally Straight: How the Fight for LGBTQ+ Inclusion Changed the Boy Scouts-And America.” His path in journalism has taken him through almost every part of the newsroom, earning awards along the way from the Boston Press Photographers Association and the Society of Professional Journalists. As an independent journalist, his work has also been published in Bloomberg, The Guardian, Fortune and beyond.
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Article updated on February 3, 2025 at 2:45 PM PST
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Why Trump Likely Can’t Stop the Buildout of Public EV Chargers
How did the federal government plan to build all those chargers?
How many chargers have been built so far?
How can I find a charger near me?