Electric Cars Hit the Road This Holiday Weekend But Charging Stations Still a Big Hurdle

As America enters its peak summer driving season, the answer to one important question is changing fast: Can you take the Great American Road Trip in an electric car?

It still depends on where you live, at least if you want to do it without fear of running out of juice in a (pun intended) underpowered nationwide network of publicly available charging stations. But the infrastructure needed to support the transition to electric transportation is way ahead of where it was last year, and big money from the infrastructure bill Congress passed last year will begin to flow before this summer is out.

“That it depends on where you are is an infrastructure question,” said Spencer Reeder, director of government affairs and sustainability at Audi of America. “In California, it’s pretty good. In major [metro areas] there’s enough charging capacity. The question is, is it fast enough?” 

The ability to make long trips is the single biggest factor consumers are watching before switching from gas-powered vehicles to ele