The Biden administration has set a goal that half of all new cars sold in the U.S. will be electric by 2030, and many states are creating plans to encourage drivers to make the switch.
Christian Mitchell is deputy governor for public safety, infrastructure, energy, and the environment in Illinois.
“The governor has a very exciting goal around electric vehicles. We want to have a million electric vehicles on the road by 2030, and we are attacking that from all ends,” Mitchell says. “On the cost side … we’re providing a $4,000 incentive for consumers to go out and buy an electric vehicle.”
Combined with federal tax credits, that can lower the price of an electric vehicle by more than $10,000.
But cost is not the only barrier to electric vehicle adoption. Some drivers are hesitant to go electric because they’re worried that they’ll run out of battery power on longer drives.
“The question is … can I take an electric vehicle from start to finish? How do I make sure there are enough chargers between here and there to know that I can get to my destination with reasonable reliability?” Mitchell says.
So to help expand charging infrastructure, the state will offer rebates and grants to cover up to 80% of the cost of installing new charging stations.
Mitchell says the investments will help position Illinois as a leader in the transition to electric vehicles.
Also see: A brief introduction to climate change and transportation
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy/ChavoBart Digital Media