President Joe Biden wants 50% of new cars in the US to run on batteries by 2025.
In 2021, Biden approved a $5 billion plan to build fast-charging stations every 50 miles (80 kilometers) along 75,000 miles of interstates and highways.
EV NEWS
There are currently about 4,800 public fast-charging stations in the United States, with 12,500 cables between them.
More than a quarter of those locations — about 1,300 stations — were activated in the 12 months ending July 31, according to an analysis of federal data.
HISTORY
When US 50 opened nearly a century ago, traversing its entire length—from Sacramento, California, to Ocean City, Maryland—was a risky proposition.
The highway cuts through desert valleys and mountain ranges, and fellow travelers were in short supply, so were gas stations.
In 1986, Life magazine called the Nevada portion of Route 50, which runs through the center of the state,“America’s Loneliest Highway” for its paucity of activity and attractions.
The highway’s nickname stuck.
E-MOBILITY TRANSITION
Today, Route 50 is littered with similar, albeit updated, reasons.
New interstate highways have diverted traffic, making some stretches even more isolated, and electric vehicle charging stations are in short supply.
Making the entire trip in a battery-powered car requires mild weather, some stressful periods, and a tailwind or two. But it’s feasible, for a few months now that with the right electric vehicle, a trailblazing traveler can now cross America’s loneliest highway solely with public fast chargers.
E-MALL PHENOMENON
The cargo spaces with multiple common services, which are made up of direct solar generation and battery storage on their roofs.
All are supplied with clean self-generation, fulfilling the complete cycle of sustainability.
The services offered are:
- Parking lots with chargers
- Café
- Rest
- Hotel
- Gym
- Market
- Pharmacy
- Up Cycling workshop and maintenance
- Automatic Car Wash
- Concessionaire
- Local Solar
- Educational Auditorium
- Local Environmental Office
All these complementary services are part of the new travel experience for humanity, which invites you to enjoy those minutes of waiting, maximizing your senses, slowing down the labor revolutions of a journey, discovering local delicacies and distractions, which stimulate local tourism.
THE FUTURE COMES FAST
America’s electronic deserts are filling up thanks to a tide of subsidies from utility companies and state governments, as well as consumer tax rebates embodied in the Cut Inflation Act.
The expansion is an indicator of growing interest from American drivers: EVs accounted for 6.5% of new car purchases in the first half of 2023, up from 2.5% two years ago. It’s also a reflection of investments by roadside retailers keen to appeal to the growing ranks of electric commuters.
THE LONELY ROUTE IS EV!
Beginning at the westernmost point of Route 50, bound for Maryland 3,000 miles away, an electric vehicle driver will encounter no obstacles in the almond fields of central California or around Lake Tahoe.
Even traversing Nevada and Utah, a literal stretch of desert, is not a problem. Fast charging stations are fast and frequent.
The mountains of Colorado are also suitable for electric vehicles, until they become plains.
There ended, until recently, the electrified highway.
The new chargers in Lamar, Colorado, 34 miles from the Kansas border, essentially put a 330-mile stretch of the United States on the EV map for the first time.
In this way, they also connected all of Route 50.
“Right now a lot of money is being invested in collecting.”
“And if you want to build a national network, at some point you’re going to have to go everywhere.”
EV TRACING
Four new public fast chargers were installed in Lamar, Colorado in June, essentially putting a 330-mile stretch of the United States on the electric vehicle map for the first time.
While Route 50 may be fully EV-ready, electron deserts persist elsewhere.
QUICK MEASUREMENT, SMART SOLUTION
To speed things up, the Biden administration signed an agreement with Tesla in February to open up parts of the Supercharger network to more vehicles.
Automakers include General Motors and Ford Motor Co.
They have also announced plans to adapt their electric vehicles to work with Tesla’s chargers, which use what the company calls the North American charging standard. Tesla’s network is far more widespread than all other public charging networks combined and offers almost twice as many cables.
SYNTHESIS:
Today, Route 50 is littered with similar, albeit updated, reasons. New interstate highways have diverted traffic, making some stretches even more isolated, and electric vehicle charging stations are in short supply.
Making the entire trip in a battery-powered car requires mild weather, some stressful periods, and a tailwind or two. But it is feasible, for a few months.
With the right electric vehicle, a trailblazing traveler can now cross America’s loneliest highway solely with public fast chargers.
CONCLUSION:
An influx of public chargers is essential to boost EV sales in states where they currently lag. The Midwest, through which Route 50 runs like a bypass, has some of the lowest adoption rates in the country. While one in five vehicles registered in California this year is electric.
But between them, those two states got nearly 50 new park-and-charge spots since last summer.
AUTHOR:
DIEGO BALVERDE
ECONOMIST
EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK
&
DELFINA FRERS
CEO BALGREEN
FORMER PROFESSIONAL CAR RACING DRIVER
