[Dormant] Electric Vehicles (Moved to !electricvehicles@slrpnk.net)

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Why does the US government subsidize the building of EV chargers? (driveelectric.gov)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by csm10495@sh.itjust.works to c/evs@lemmy.world

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At one point I thought that if the Government was giving money for EV chargers, they would be either at-cost or free to use.

One of the first built was at a Flying J truck stop in Ohio.

I looked on plug share and found one in Hubbard, OH and it's 67c per kwh (https://www.plugshare.com/location/582660). The average cost of electricity in that area is less than 15c per kwh. At that kind of price, gas could be a cheaper option.

Why does the government subsidize in a way where already wealthy companies get public money to build chargers, and make a ton more money off the rest of us?

(This is not a political statement at all. I just don't understand why public money goes to make certain private folks more wealthy. I figure I must be missing something).

Thanks for your thoughts!

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[–] mosiacmango@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

To get them built. Electric cars are only viable if people can use them on the same infastructure, in roughly the same way as gasoline cars. A core part of that is a expansive and reliable charging network that spans the nation.

It doesnt need to be "gas stations" anymore, but they need to be as convenient, at least in their own way.

It's common, and arguably one of the most useful parts of goverment, that highly positive but fiscally negative projects will be "seeded" for a number of years with goverment money. This happened with electrication, telecom, internet access, etc. Goverment subsidies the intial infrastructure for profit to occur, and then profit motives take over and the government can end its investment. In this way, the goverment can shift the nation in positive directions, improving its citizens lives. This fucks up at times (see hundreds of billions in broadband investments and the glacial or non existent improvements), but is largely a sound idea.

Thats why Bidens IRA pushed so much money into various green tech, including charging infastructure. If the chargers are there, it solves a core EV adoption problem, which spurs green car tech forward.

[–] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Electric cars are only viable if people can use them on the same infastructure, in roughly the same way as gasoline cars.

Eh, I think there is should be a difference in behaviour between ICE refueling and EV charging.

The only people who should be charging their vehicles "roughly the same way as gasoline cars" are those who can't charge where they park. If you own a driveway or a garage, you should install a charger there, charge overnight while you sleep, and leave with a "full tank" every morning.

It doesnt need to be "gas stations" anymore, but they need to be as convenient, at least in their own way.

Definitely this. We don't need as many charging stations as we did gas stations, and "home" should be the most convenient place to charge.