The Biden administration has recently been criticized for its slow progress in developing electric vehicle charging stations despite billions of taxpayer-funded investments. During a recent interview with CBS’ Face the Nation, host Margaret Brennan pressed Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as to why only a handful of stations have been built despite several years passing since the legislation was originally signed.
In 2021, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which provided $7.5 billion for EV charging programs. Furthermore, Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act expanded tax credits for EVs and charger installations.
However, the administration has reportedly developed “seven or eight” charging stations since the bill passed, begging the question of what the federal government has been doing with the billions in taxpayer funds and how it will meet the ambitious goal by the end of the decade.
“Back in 2020, the Federal Highway Administration says only seven or eight charging stations have been produced with the seven-and-a-half billion investment that taxpayers made back in 2021. Why isn’t that happening more quickly?” Brennan asked Buttigieg.
“The transportation secretary defended the Biden administration, explaining that it takes time to construct the stations while maintaining that the government is actively working with all 50 states to implement the charging stations.
“The President’s goal is to have half a million chargers up by the end of this decade. Now in order to do a charger. It’s more than just plugging a small device into the ground. There’s utility work and this is also really a new category of federal investment. But we’ve been working with each of the 50 States every one of them is getting formula dollars to do this work, engaging them and the first handful,” he responded, before being cut off by Brennan. “Seven or eight, though?” the host chuckled.
Buttiegieg doubled down, “Again by 2030, 500,000 chargers, and the very first handful of chargers are now already being physically built.” A clip of the conversation has gone viral on social media, drawing commentary from conservatives questioning the Biden administration’s competency.
“Margaret Brennan laughed in Pete Buttigeg’s face when he said that 500,000 charging stations will be built in the next 5 years, while only 7 have been built thus far under Biden, despite billions in investment,” Johnny Maga said.
RNC Research wrote, “Pete Buttigieg has a VERY tough time trying to explain why “only 7 or 8 [electric vehicle] charging stations have been produced with the $7.5 BILLION investment that taxpayers made back in 2021.”
The American Tribune added, “Pete Buttigieg illustrates President Biden’s goal to install 500,000 electric chargers by the end of the decade. After a $7.5 BILLION investment of taxpayer dollars, the Biden administration has set up 7 electric charging stations. We need Schedule F.” See footage of the interview below:
Co-founder and editor of the American Tribune Will Tanner wrote, “Only 7 or 8 [electric vehicle] charging stations have been produced with the $7.5 BILLION investment that taxpayers made back in 2021.” The craziest thing isn’t even that Mayor Pete wasted so much money, but that he doesn’t even know if it’s 7 or 8.
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.