The lack of adequate charging infrastructure in the U.S. — and its multiple impacts — is bound to come up at any EV conference, but the drumbeat of obstacles was hard to miss at Forth.
Sessions on improving the EV charging experience, investments in charging, reducing charging costs and the role of utilities in building up the charging infrastructure alternately soothed and energized attendees strengthening the backbone of the transition to EV charging.
The Biden administration is banking on a nearly tenfold increase in the number of charging sites by 2030, but the nation has a long way to go. According to J.D. Power, about one in five charging attempts in the U.S. failed last year.
Steffani Cuff, Forth programs director, said that workplace charging in particular is plagued by “high upfront costs, limited parking space, lack of expertise, equity concerns and uncertainty around future demand.”
Panelists said agencies should issue guidance and allow plenty of time for installing chargers in tricky locations, such as multifamily housing sites.
