EDITOR'S NOTE: Multimedia journalist Sarah Pilla spoke with Estelle Reyes from the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator about what President Biden's announcement means to electric vehicle drivers. Click the arrow above to watch the video.

NATIONWIDE — As escalating gas prices fuel unprecedented demand for electric vehicles, the White House proposed new standards for a national network of EV chargers Thursday. To help make EV charging more convenient, reliable and affordable, the standards would make EV chargers easier to find, use and pay for, regardless of where they are located.

“The new standards will ensure everyone can use the network — no matter what car you drive or which state you charge in,” according to a White House press statement.

What You Need To Know

  • The White House is proposing new standards for EV chargers to make them easier to find, use and pay for

  • The standards would allow EV drivers who cross state lines to confidently recharge

  • The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes $7.5 billion in funding for EV charging infrastructure

  • Biden has set a goal of 500,000 EV chargers as part of a national network for EV drivers to be able to travel cross country

The move is intended to support the national electric vehicle charging network of 500,000 chargers throughout the country. Located along highways and in local communities, the network is designed to help families “plug in, charge up and drive across America,” according to the White House. There are currently about 100,000 public EV chargers nationwide, but they are a hodgepodge of brands and types that do not work with all EV makes and models.

The network’s new EV charger installations will be funded with $7.5 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that Biden signed last year. States will receive $5 billion to build out their charging infrastructure along highways to fill the gaps between disadvantaged, rural and hard-to-reach locations so EV drivers can feel more confident they will be able to refuel when needed.

Another $2.5 billion will be provided through competitive grants designed to support charging in local communities and corridors so they can improve air quality and improve charging access in disadvantaged areas. The U.S. Department of Transportation will begin accepting applications for the program later in the year.

The Biden administration’s announcement of the new standards for the National EV Infrastructure program comes as it works to accelerate electric vehicle adoption. Last August, the president signed an executive order for 50% of new vehicle sales to be electric by 2030.

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While EV registrations increased 60% in the first quarter of the year due in part to record-breaking gas prices, they make up just 4.6% of new vehicle registrations in the country, according to the financial data company Experian. The financial services company UBS estimates that 40% of new vehicle sales will be electric by 2030.

The main barriers to EV adoption are higher upfront prices compared with gas-powered cars, concerns about range and a lack of charging infrastructure, according to a survey from the website AutoList.com released in May. Almost half of the survey’s respondents said EVs cost too much. Forty-four percent were concerned about range. Thirty-six percent said they were worried about finding a place to charge.

To complement the national EV charging network and the new charger standards, the U.S. Department of Energy will invest $45 million to develop fast charging batteries that can accept several miles of charge per minute. The agency also anticipates spending as much as $30 million to deploy EV chargers to individuals who do not have access to home charging and who live in underserved communities.