The shift towards electric vehicles is gaining momentum as more and more people are choosing to drive environmentally friendly cars. However, as the demand for electric vehicles increases, so does the need for reliable charging infrastructure. Many EV drivers are finding it challenging to find available and working charging stations, leading to frustration and inconvenience.
CBS station’s National Environmental correspondent, David Sheer, hit the road to investigate the reality of the EV charging network. What he found was a mixed bag – while the sale of electric vehicles is on the rise, the availability of charging stations is not keeping up. In California, the state with the most EVs, finding a working and available charger can be a challenge.
One company, Charger Help, is working to address the issue by training workers to service a variety of charging equipment owned by different companies. They have collaborated with the federal government to develop a new standard that requires chargers to work 97% of the time. This reliability is crucial for the successful transition to electric vehicles.
Federal lawmakers have approved $5 billion to spur the construction of a national network of 500,000 publicly available electric charging ports by 2030. However, the implementation of these plans has been slow, with few chargers actually being installed. Energy policy experts estimate that the US will need 1.2 million publicly accessible chargers by 2030 to keep up with the growing EV sales.
Cities like Los Angeles are taking innovative approaches to closing the charging gap, such as installing chargers on light poles on city streets. This not only utilizes existing infrastructure but also provides a public option for EV drivers to easily access charging stations.
While the transition to electric vehicles is crucial for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change, the reliability and availability of charging infrastructure are key factors in encouraging more people to make the switch. As more efforts are made to expand and improve the charging network, the future of electric vehicles looks promising.
