As time goes on, more states continue to try and push consumers to purchase electric vehicles instead of traditional gas-powered cars.
Even as the overall sales of Bidenmobiles continue to tank, some states do see higher sales numbers than others.
But one state is facing a major hurdle in its attempt to try and boost Bidenmobile sales.
Washington state is facing Bidenmobile sales challenges over lack of charging stations
The Washington State Legislature has a lofty goal to try and transition the transportation sector away from using fossil fuels and toward electric vehicles.
However, the plan is facing several challenges, most notably the lack of available public charging stations and ports.
As of January 2024, 21.5 percent of all vehicle sales were electric, and 19.9 percent of all vehicle sales were electric in February.
These numbers represent an increase in the percentage of Bidenmobile sales when compared to the same months in 2023.
Washington state has one of the highest Bidenmobile adoption rates in the nation overall.
But Dan Bowerson with the Alliance for Automotive Innovation says some things are hindering Bidenmobile sales from reaching higher numbers.
During the state Electric Vehicle Coordinating Council meeting in April, Bowerson said while the numbers are “very good news,” the lack of charging stations is a problem.
“Consumers are simply not going to buy a vehicle they don’t have confidence they’re going to be able to fuel. They need to know the charging stations are there before they’re purchasing a vehicle. They need to know the charging stations are up and running. It does us no good if a charging station isn’t functioning when a driver pulls up to it,” he said.
Currently, Washington has 2,153 public charging stations with a total of 5,644 EV charging ports.
As of July 2023, 104,050 of all-electric vehicles were registered in Washington state, the fourth highest in the nation.
That means that there are 18 Bidenmobiles for every charging port — the council says there needs to be 3 million charging ports statewide by 2040.
To reach that number, 250,000 more stations would need to be built annually for the next 16 years.
Washington state must eliminate “charging deserts”
One of the main hindrances for many consumers is “range anxiety,” or worries about not having access to a charging station when their Bidenmobile is on the road.
The Washington State Department of Transportation’s plan for Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment has a goal to install one charging station every 50 miles or less across the state’s network of highways.
According to the text of the plan, “Realizing this vision will eliminate ‘charging deserts’ and remove a significant barrier to EV adoption. Furthermore, it would prepare the state for its goal that, beginning in 2030, all new private passenger vehicles will be electric.”
Bowerson says nationwide, the country needs 1.25 million public charging stations by 2030 to support the transportation sector if Bidenmobiles represent 50 percent of all sales by that time.
When broken down, that equates to the installation of 427 new chargers every day.
For now, Washington SDOT has received a $15 million allocation to build highway charging stations across the state.
Stay tuned to Blue State Blues for any updates to this ongoing story.
