Financial Services Association, May 27 (Editor Malan) In November 2021, US President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, allocating 7.5 billion US dollars to charge electric vehicles. Of this, $5 billion was used to build charging networks along major highways, the US Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program.

However, on Sunday's program, US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg was asked an embarrassing question. In the more than two years since the bill was signed, the Biden administration has set up only 8 electric vehicle charging stations across the US, which has made many Americans very dissatisfied.

In response, Buttigieg said that Biden's goal is to build 500,000 charging stations in 2030. But building a charging station is more than just burying a small device in the ground; it involves utility work, which is a new category of federal investment.

He stressed that the White House is cooperating with every state, and each state will receive fixed funding to carry out charging station work. Currently, construction of the first batch of charging stations has begun, but this is in a very, very preliminary stage.

The electric car dilemma

According to a Pew Research Center report, as of February 2024, there were more than 61,000 public electric vehicle charging stations in the US. Currently, about 60% of Americans live within 2 miles of public charging stations.

However, the distance between the place of residence and public charging stations significantly affects American consumers' confidence in electric vehicles. People who live near charging stations generally have a more positive view of electric vehicles.

Despite this, only 17% of American adults expressed confidence in America's ability to build public charging stations. Furthermore, among those who live 2 miles away from a charging station, only 27% said they might consider buying an electric vehicle.

The slow pace of infrastructure construction and the questioning of the future of electric vehicles have also made the White House's electric vehicle blueprint a target for political opponents.

Republican presidential candidate Trump has criticized that Biden is spending billions of dollars in federal funds to build unpopular electric cars instead of fuel vehicles that everyone wants.

Buttigieg responded that demand for electric vehicles in the US market is growing, and every year more American consumers buy electric cars than the previous year.

However, in April of this year, a Gallup poll showed that Americans' interest in buying electric cars declined, and only 9% of people were seriously considering buying electric cars.