Axios Event: More infrastructure and lower cost are key to EV transition

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Building out more infrastructure and lowering costs are two main priorities for transportation officials in getting more electric vehicles on the road.

• Axios business reporter Nathan Bomey and 1 big thing host Niala Boodhoo moderated conversations with Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg and Department of Energy official Michael Berube, which was sponsored by UL Standards & Engagement.

Why it matters: Despite progress being made in both areas, continued deployment of charging ports and reducing the price of EVs are two of the largest barriers to widespread U.S. EV adoption.

What they're saying: "We have 188,000 charging ports in the U.S. right now, that number has grown by 43,000 just in the last year," Berube said.

More Americans are buying EVs each year than the previous year, according to Buttigieg. "There really are two things we're doing to facilitate that process," he said.

• "One is to make them cheaper. That's what the tax credit is all about. The other is to make sure that you can find a charger when you need one."

What's next: Lawmakers understand the strategic value of improving the U.S. EV manufacturing market when facing global competitors like China.

• Buttigieg said China "understands the strategic value of trying to dominate the EV market" because that is the direction the automotive sector is heading.
• "This is why it really harmed our economic security when the Trump administration all but deliberately gave China the advance in the EV market, and now we are working to reclaim it on American soil," he added.

Sponsored content:

In a View from the Top sponsored segment, David Martin, UL Standards & Engagement's director of government engagement, and Director of Data Science & Standards Engineering Denice Durrant noted that electric transportation such as e-bikes and e-scooters are affordable options for people to commute to work, especially in urban hubs.

• "According to our data, it shows that over half of the consumers who purchase these devices are actually doing so for work purposes. So that's really key that we're maintaining access for those people to carry out their daily lives," Martin said.