With their increasing popularity in the US, there seems to be something major holding them back. At least in practice. In 2023, new EVs now offer legitimate range, versatility, and come in a variety of forms. But unless you drive a Tesla, you might have noticed something. Simply put, it’s not where it needs to be to make electric cars viable for many people.
Is there an infrastructure for electric cars?
Currently, there is a template infrastructure, but it’s not really where it needs to be. Tesla has spent years building up its charging capabilities, but for the most part, Tesla chargers are limited to Tesla cars. That means if you’re driving something like, you can’t charge at one of those stations.
The US Department of Transportation hopes to change that. The latest legislation should mean more reliable and standardized charging stations popping up across America.
US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated that they should be “as predictable and accessible as filling a tank of gas.” And once that happens, maybe more people will come to electric cars.
Electric vehicles are not ready to replace combustion engine cars
I will not deny my appreciation for electric cars. I think things like that prove that electric vehicles can be both fun and practical. But coming from rural Kansas, I also know that electric vehicles are far from being able to completely replace ICE vehicles.
For example, even though we now have electric trucks that can tow, when you actually tow, you lose out on range. And there are a lot of areas where finding general freight can be a challenging task.
Until we have a solid charging infrastructure, filling the pump when needed seems more practical than having to track down a charging station if you’re on a road trip. Of course, charging at home is certainly not impractical. Especially if your garage is equipped for this sort of thing.
How much does the government spend on electric cars?
Through, $2.5 billion will be injected into freight and fueling infrastructure. By 2030, the feds hope to vastly improve the way people charge their electric cars in the United States.
The year 2030 is only seven years from now, so all of this isn’t too far away. It’s important to note that how all this is is is kind of up in the air. The co-office will work with a variety of agencies and communities, so there are a lot of moving parts to deal with. But hopefully it will make a huge difference to the electric charging infrastructure.
