Just ten days before Donald Trump takes office, the Biden administration has awarded $635 million in grants to develop electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. This funding, from the bipartisan Infrastructure Act of 2021, leaves a meager balance of $700,000 of the $2.5 billion originally earmarked for the program.

　　The grants are aimed at supporting 49 projects, deploying more than 11,500 charging stations and alternative fuel infrastructure in 27 states, as well as in the District of Columbia and on the territories of four federally recognized tribes.

　　The grants are divided into two main components:

　　1. $368 million will fund 42 projects to strengthen local charging infrastructure in communities across the United States.2. $268 million will be invested in 7 projects to build a national fast-charging network along designated alternative fuel corridors.The funding comes from the Alternative Fuel Charging and Refueling Discretionary Grant Program (CFI) and a 10-percent set-aside from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program.

　　Still a long way from reaching targets

　　Currently, there are nearly 70,000 public charging stations in the United States, or around 197,000 charging ports, according to DOEs Alternative Fuels Data Center.

　　The Biden administration set an ambitious goal of having in place 500,000 publicly accessible charging stations by 2030. According to Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Secretary of Transportation, These investments will enable states and communities to build a network of charging stations. One day, finding a charge while traveling will be as easy as filling up with gas.

　　A race against time

　　Since the presidential election, the Biden administration has been scrambling to distribute clean energy funds quickly. This haste is in response to Donald Trumps threats to revoke these funds once he is in office. That would be next to impossible once the funds have been allocated.

　　Whats at stake for the future?

　　For drivers of EVs, an expanded, more accessible charging infrastructure promises to reduce EV range anxiety, and it may help undecided car buyers to go electric. For industry, the projects undeniably stimulate innovation and encourage investment in charging technologies. For the United States, meeting the 2030 targets will strengthen the countrys position in the transition to sustainable mobility.

　　With this initiative, the Biden administration is marking an important milestone in the deployment of electric vehicle infrastructure. The aim, to ensure a greener future despite political uncertainties.