An anonymous reader cites an Ars Technica report. Today, the federal government’s Joint Office of Energy and Transportation opened applications for a $2.5 billion program to expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure in underserved communities. The Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program was authorized along with the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. To begin with, the Joint Office provides $700 million for EV chargers, but also other alternative fuels, including hydrogen and natural gas.
The UFA program actually includes two separate grant programs worth $1.25 billion. The first relates to community charging and fuel grants in both urban and rural areas, particularly disadvantaged and deprived communities, including low and moderate income neighborhoods and neighborhoods with low private parking ratios. The other half of the money goes to alternative fuel corridor grants, which will fund the deployment of EV chargers and other alternative fuel infrastructure in designated alternative fuel corridors. “It’s critical that we build a national charging network that provides EV drivers with the right type of charging in the right place, whether that’s (TM) high-energy charging in highway corridors and urban hubs, or Level 2 charging where EV drivers. or where riders live, work and play,” said Joint Office Executive Director Gabe Klein. “By working with cities and communities through the CFI program to get this mix right, we can ensure that everyone has convenient and affordable access to electricity to drive and ride.”