How Philadelphia's EV charging network could expand

The Biden administration recently launched a $5 billion program to expand electric vehicle (EV) charging networks nationwide.

Why it matters: States will have a say in where the new infrastructure should be built — and the efforts could finally address a huge barrier to EV purchases: charging anxiety.

Driving the news: An initial $615 million will be available to states in fiscal year 2022 as part of the Biden administration's bipartisan infrastructure law, Axios' Ben Geman reports.

• States have until Aug. 1 to apply.

The big picture: Electric vehicle sales made up nearly 9% of car sales globally in 2021, but they are predicted to account for as much as 30% of the sales by 2025.

• Pennsylvania had more than 29,000 registered electric passenger vehicles as of November 2020 — a figure that has more than doubled since 2017.
• The bulk of EVs were registered in the Philadelphia region, according to a state report.

Zoom in: There are roughly 224 public EV charging stations within a 15-mile radius of Center City, according to data from the U.S. Department of Energy. Within the city limits, 16 are free to use.

• The city has installed 47 Level 2 stations to meet the needs of its municipal fleet. The stations, most of which are located in North Philadelphia, can charge a car in three to eight hours.

Between the lines: Philadelphia aims to stop buying internal combustion engine vehicles by 2030, according to a recent report.

• The city of Philadelphia accounts for about 3% of citywide greenhouse gas emissions, a Kenney administration spokesperson said. With approximately 5,500 vehicles, the city's fleet makes up 13% of that.

What they're saying: The spokesperson said the city is "exploring all the options for making EV charging more accessible throughout the city, including building mandates and incentives, public-private partnerships and more."

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to show that the municipal fleet makes up 13% of the city's portion of greenhouse gas emissions, not 25%.