U.S. government owns about 1,100 charging stations, needs 100,000, report says

WASHINGTON — The U.S. government may need more than 100,000 charging stations to support widespread EV use, a government watchdog told a congressional hearing on Tuesday.

The Government Accountability Office said in testimony that as of March, federal agencies own about 1,100 charging stations. President Joe Biden in December signed an executive order directing the U.S. government to end purchases of gas-powered vehicles by 2035.

The House Oversight and Reform Committee is holding a hearing on the U.S. Postal Service’s plans to buy mostly gas-powered next-generation delivery vehicles. USPS is not covered by Biden’s executive order.

Less than 0.3 percent of the government’s 657,000 vehicles were electric as of 2020, or 1,777. In 2020, the government spent $4.2 billion on vehicle costs, including $730 million for fuel.

The General Services Administration on Tuesday said that as of March 10, federal agencies have ordered an additional 1,854 zero-emission vehicles since the prior report.

The GAO noted that the GSA has been able to negotiate lower purchase prices for some EV models, saying that the “GSA negotiated a discounted price for the Chevrolet Bolt in fiscal year 2021 — at almost $10,000 below its market retail price.”