US Government Disburses 100 Million Dollars For Repair Of More Than 6,000 EV Charging Stations

JAKARTA - The US government has demonstrated its commitment to optimizing the development of electric vehicles by allocating funds of US$100 million or around Rp1.5 trillion for repairs and maintenance of abandoned electric vehicle charging stations (EVs).

Reporting from The Verge, Tuesday, September 19, this fund is part of a previous government investment worth US$7.4 billion in electric vehicle charging technology, which was approved under the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.

US government data noted that more than 6,000 charging stations are currently unusable. This number covers about four percent of the total existing electric vehicle charging stations. In addition to repairing existing charging stations, the government is also trying to install thousands of new facilities along major US highways, with an estimated budget of up to 1 billion US dollars.

Bad charging infrastructure conditions can have a negative impact on the development of electric vehicles in the US. Therefore, the US government needs to support the electric vehicle ecosystem with various incentives supported by adequate infrastructure.

Currently, there are a total of 151,506 charging facilities on the US highway, but 6,261 of them are not operating for various reasons, including maintenance problems, damage, and electricity problems. With new funding of 100 million US dollars, it is hoped that it can cover the cost of replacing and improving the infrastructure.

In addition to government efforts, automotive companies are also actively involved in strengthening electric vehicle infrastructure in the US. Several leading brands such as Honda, BMW, GM, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis have established partnerships to build electric car charging networks that are easily accessible, comfortable, and reliable. They plan to provide 30,000 high charging points to meet the needs of millions of electric car users in North America.