Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm outlined the department's plan to increase electric vehicle sales, speaking on concerns over the high prices and a lack of available chargers.

When pressed by Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL) during her testimony with the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Granholm said the Department of Energy is “trying to solve the chicken and egg issue” by bringing down the price but also funding additional electric vehicle charging units in areas that the private sector has yet to build them, due to the low purchase rate.

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"So we're trying to solve the chicken and egg issue on, on that, we're trying to bring down the price and, of course, the Inflation Reduction Act by reducing the price at the on the hood of vehicles, electric vehicles, as they're purchased will also make them more attractive," Granholm said.

One of the biggest concerns for prospective electric vehicle drivers is the access and availability of charging stations. Granholm said the department is trying to tackle “range anxiety” due to a lack of charging stations across the nation.

“We have partnered with the Department of Transportation with a joint office that is set up to put out funding to achieve 500,000 additional electric vehicle charging units across the nation, both in transportation corridors as well as in areas where the private sector has not seen fit to put up charging stations, perhaps because there's no electric vehicles,” Granholm said.

The Biden administration proposed the toughest regulations to date with the Environmental Protection Agency, creating emissions standards for model years 2027 to 2032 that would mean 67% EV sales by the 2032 model year. A Cox Automotive survey found that while a majority of Americans are considering either a new or used EV, the cars only account for less than 8% of total new vehicle sales in 2023.

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“The administration is, or at least the Department of Energy, is doing everything possible to bring down the price of electric vehicles by investing in research and development on battery technology,” Granholm said on Thursday morning. “The price of vehicle batteries has already dropped by 85% over the past, more than a decade, and a lot of that is due to DOE research.”

Granholm highlighted President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to help with high electric vehicle costs, passed last year as the largest climate initiative in United States history. The legislation includes rebates of up to $7,500 for buying an electric vehicle.