There continues to be a great deal of discussion — and often heated debate — about the progress of EV adoption, market demand, and, yes, the government’s involvement in said market.
That is not going to be addressed here.
It is a simple fact that the world is moving away from the internal combustion engine and toward “clean fuel” technology. In some parts of the world, this is accelerating quickly. In others, the pace is much slower. Either way, it is happening. Another fact is that the current landscape demands more expansive charging infrastructure to encourage EV adoption and consumer buy-in. While 80-85% of EV charging is indeed done at home according to the Department of Energy, there is still a vast need for chargers throughout our country’s infrastructure.
The good news? Key investments continue to be made to address this need. The latest comes in the form of $521 million in grants that will continue building out EV charging stations and alternative fueling infrastructure in 29 states, the land of eight federally recognized tribes, and the District of Columbia. This will add approximately 9,200 new charging ports* across the nation. Michigan will receive $26.2 million of those funds for three projects in Detroit and Ann Arbor.
Further, Michigan is slated to receive $110 million through fiscal year 2026 of $7.5 billion in federal funds for 500,000 new charging ports across the U.S. This will hopefully help the state advance toward its goal of 100,000 publicly accessible chargers available by 2030.
The recent investment news is very positive, but it’s also important to maintain the context of where Michigan and the U.S. stand in global rankings.
The chart below provides a high-level comparison of the charging networks in China, Shanghai, Norway, the U.S., California, and Michigan. These regions have different government policies, levels of subsidies, and market adoption curves, which speak to the varying levels of development and adoption, respectively. It’s clear. We’re progressing, but there’s work to do.
The U.S. EV market is growing slowly but also outpacing the availability of the charging network. This illustrates the delicate balance that must be struck between infrastructure investment and the market demand. Moving forward, especially with new funding in-hand, Michigan must work – through thoughtful policy, a bolstered supply chain, and innovation – to achieve that balance.
Learn more about MichAuto’s efforts to support this work at michauto.org/industry-transition.
* Stories on EVs often refer to “chargers” or “charging stations” and “ports.” Note that the terms do differ. A port is part of a charger or charging station. For example, a charger could have a single port or as many as 12 ports.