The White House has given the green light to several initiatives designed to grow and improve electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Electric vehicles (EV) have captivated many folks who are bullish on the idea of eliminating fuel costs and doing right by the environment, yet anxiety about running out of charge has definitely put a crimp on sales.
To get consumers over the hump, the White House recently announced a bunch of new initiatives designed to address consumers’ “range anxiety,” allowing them to be as confident about charging up as they are about filling up their gas tanks.
According to a Washington Post article, the White House announced a new designation of up to $4.5 billion in Energy Department loan guarantees to support EV charging infrastructure while also revealing its intent to designate and develop key electric vehicle “charging corridors” across the country. As part of its EV promotion, the government said it also plans to purchase large numbers of EVs while funding research initiatives at the Department of Energy labs to develop new and improved EV charging technologies.
The government has enlisted some good, old-fashioned corporate muscle on the EV cause. Some of the largest power companies (Duke Energy and Southern Company to name two) and top auto makers (including Ford and Tesla) have signed a joint statement pledging to make it easier for consumers to charge their EVs.
