Ye ghods...
Welp, this administration continues to PROVE they can spend money on... stuff...
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law earmarked $7.5 billion for EV charging, with $5 billion allocated to states, but the slow rollout has resulted in just 7 charging stations.
Higher standards for new EV chargers, including 97% operational reliability, 150kW power, and proximity to highways, have contributed to the slow progress, along with permitting challenges and power demands.
Concerns have been raised by lawmakers and experts about mismanagement of taxpayer dollars and the lack of experience among state transportation agencies in deploying EV charging infrastructure.
Full article, HERE. From Oil Price monthly.
We used to have a saying in the R&D world about 'vapor ware'...
It looked good on paper, and in all those powerpoint presentations, and 'worked' in a lab environment (maybe)...
But when it hit the real world...if it ever did, it usually failed spectacularly! Of course it was never the fault of the provider, but it was those stupid sailors that (insert excuse here).
As far as I know, 'we' never blew anywhere near that much money on even the worst failures we had!!!
The basic 'problem', IMHO, is that the rules keep changing faster than the states can adapt, nobody is looking at how long, how much it will cost, and who will provide the power required for these stations everywhere.
And the only ones that have successfully deployed ANY stations have all been private companies, with proprietary systems.
As far as I know, there is no 'overarching plan, standardization, or a designated point of contact that actually knows what is going on. I just wonder how much the 'cost overruns' are going to be?
And manufacturers are pulling back on building EVs... This just gets better and better...
Ugh. The push is so annoying. You kind of need a GARAGE to have an EV and they don't run when it gets cold, so up North this is a hard sell. A local town just got an EV Fire Engine which cost as much as 1.5 gas powered fire engines (if I remember right). It won't run during the coldest months in the winter here in Texas...
Once upon a time, we got sucked into buying a hybrid Honda. "The mileage is great! You'll save money on gas!" We spent over $10K on replacement hybrid batteries when those died. Also, the hybrid batteries would draw on the combustion engine's starter battery, leaving us to buy three replacement batteries that died before a normal lifespan. These manufacturers are making emotional decisions for irrational customers, and the rest of us, who would normally be sitting on the sidelines laughing, are sucked into their mess and left with the bill. 🤷♂️ Welcome to America, where mental confusion and an utter lack of discipline is lauded.