The U.S. Travel Association on Friday welcomed a plan by the Biden Administration to invest $5 billion in a new National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, saying "this program will make foundational investments in a national EV charging network that will shape the future of travel mobility in America."
The White House, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Energy all released a joint statement regarding the five-year plan.
While some Americans have embraced the switch to electric vehicles -- even rental car dealer Hertz said it was ordering 100,000 of them from Tesla -- many have difficulty in finding charging stations. The program helps states create a network of EV charging stations along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors, particularly along the Interstate Highway System.
A second, competitive grant program designed to further increase EV charging access in locations throughout the country, including in rural and underserved communities, will be announced later this year.
"A century ago, America ushered in the modern automotive era; now America must lead the electric vehicle revolution," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. "The President's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help us win the EV race by working with states, labor, and the private sector to deploy a historic nationwide charging network that will make EV charging accessible for more Americans."
Added Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm: "We are modernizing America's national highway system for drivers in cities large and small, towns and rural communities, to take advantage of the benefits of driving electric."
During the public comment period on the initiative, the U.S. Travel Association encouraged state departments of transportation to work closely state tourism offices, private travel businesses and destination marketing organizations to apply for the grants and make recommendations on where charging stations should be implemented.
"With sustainability being a cornerstone of the future of travel mobility, the innovations of the travel industry will often outpace the needed government resources to deploy them," Tori Emerson Barnes, Executive Vice President, Public Affairs and Policy at the U.S. Travel Association, said in a statement. "The administration's announcement is a landmark opportunity for state tourism offices and destination marketing organizations to partner with decision makers at the inception of the Green American Road Trip."
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