Since my last blog post in October, leadership in Washington, D.C. is changing and one thing is certain: public funding delivered through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is creating EV jobs across the U.S. and inspiring ongoing private sector investment.
Most notably, the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program is helping to ensure the economic benefits of EV charging infrastructure investments are delivered locally. Charging infrastructure creates a new employment landscape with opportunities in electrical installation, maintenance and repair, safety, vandalism prevention, planning and design, assembly, general construction, administration, and more. These new jobs are especially valuable because they are needed anywhere people drive an EV, with the potential to create about 160,000 jobs across the U.S. in the next eight years. Close to 50% of those jobs will be for installation, maintenance, and repair, and there is even greater potential for job growth if we prioritize charging manufacturing in the U.S.
The NEVI program is currently funded to support over 500,000 made-in-America chargers connecting 79,000 miles of highways. To better understand the full picture of where EV chargers have been built, where funds have been distributed, and what’s next from the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, you’re invited to join Veloz’s next Digital Dialogue, The Future is Now: The Current State of America’s NEVI Program Rollout, on December 12th at 11:00 a.m. Pacific. The keynote speaker is Gabe Klein, Executive Director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, and panelists include representatives from Francis Energy, Plug & Play EV, and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
Clean transportation technology is a growing global economic pillar of many leading countries, and has implications for growing jobs and the economy. Continuing investments from the IRA and IIJA ensure our leadership in the worldwide marketplace. Without this leadership in the EV revolution, we could lose these jobs to other countries.
The non-partisan energy policy think tank Energy Innovation recently opined, “The data says it all: Vehicle manufacturing jobs have reached a 34-year peak, and transportation equipment employment has reached levels not seen in over two decades.”
Of the $223 billion already granted to EV manufacturing facilities and initiatives, 66% of that was announced since the passage of the IIJA just three years ago. Over that same period, companies have announced $312 billion in planned investments, up from about $75 billion. There are now 484 active or planned EV industry manufacturing facilities across 40 states, with Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, and Tennessee being the top states benefiting from EV investment. The top two states for new investment in EV-related manufacturing are Georgia, which leads the country with over $31 billion in new EV manufacturing investment, and Michigan.
The U.S. is now the top nation for attracting financing in EV and battery manufacturing, surpassing other major manufacturing countries. These private investments create long-lasting job security. Maintaining this momentum is critical to keeping these high-tech, 21st-century jobs in the U.S. instead of ceding them to countries like China.
With political headwinds and potential policy shifts, Veloz is leveraging its leadership, 40+ members, communications channels, connections, and convening power to overcome EV adoption barriers, help consumers understand the benefits of choosing an EV for their next purchase, and accelerate our Electric For All vision.
We hope you’ll join us in exploring what it takes to make EV charging accessible and advancing the job and economic opportunities created by infrastructure and manufacturing investments.
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