EV Infrastructure’s Future

This column cites a Politico article, which might turn off some, but bear with me. This deals with electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure—an important issue for the roads and bridges construction industry.

In “Why Trump Couldn’t Stop the Electric Vehicle Dream: We never got those promised EV chargers—but we did get a future for EVs,” David Ferris examines the state of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program.

NEVI is a $5 billion initiative launched under President Joe Biden to build a nationwide network of electric-vehicle fast-charging stations. The program has under-performed, with only a handful of stations operating years into its rollout.

However, despite the slow physical deployment, the program has succeeded in forcing the fragmented EV-charging industry to adopt common standards for reliability, interoperability, payment systems and cybersecurity, marking a structural shift in how networks operate.

The article also highlights that the effort weathered political turbulence, including resistance and attempted cuts under President Donald Trump, because NEVI’s funding and requirements were embedded in law and thus hard to dismantle.

As the 2024 election approached, folks who work in the auto industry and construction equipment industry told me that a second Trump administration likely would not halt EV production and research.

It seemed inevitable that we’d reach this pivitol moment for EV infrastructure. And though the path forward might not be easy without incentives, it is clear to me: Expand strategically and make it reliable.

To do this, red tape must be cut. The landscape of permits and site approval is a nightmare for developers. But the biggest challenge isn’t dealing with inconsistent requirements. It’s the grid itself.

Many ideal charging locations require transformer upgrades, feeder enhancements or entirely new interconnections. Without coordinated planning between developers and utilities, promising sites can be held up for months, even years.

Existing charging stations must be improved, as well. Drivers frequently report broken chargers, incompatible payment systems or inaccurate “available” statuses in public apps.

This kind of roadside maintenance leads to other issues: supply-chain constraints for key components, the scarcity of trained electricians and technicians and continued fragmentation in payment systems, connectors and software protocols.

This is our annual Top 10 Awards issue, and, as is the case each year, these projects are a success because of support, communication and collaboration from everyone involved. America needs that kind of teamwork and leadership when it comes to expanding EV infrastructure.

President Biden may have failed in the short term with NEVI, but the program has proven to be a success. Maybe President Trump should bring back the EV tax credits.

Whatever path we take, America must be strategic yet bold, with collaboration and teamwork, to ensure that we have the world’s best EV infrastructure.