Biden administrations expensive EV road trip

 The Federalist Wire:

...

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm’s summer 2023 electric vehicle road trip, intended to promote EV adoption, has come under scrutiny after racking up nearly $125,000 in taxpayer-funded expenses, according to a report by the Department of Energy’s Office of the Inspector General. The four-day tour, which was accompanied by a gas-powered vehicle, faced accusations of overspending, inaccurate reporting, and poor planning.

Granholm’s team submitted 42 travel vouchers for a total of $124,824, with 36 of them exceeding the government’s lodging allowance by a combined $9,487.50.

The decision to book hotels near EV charging stations, rather than cheaper accommodations nearby, drove up costs. “Travelers could have chosen different nearby hotels to reduce travel costs at the Government’s expense,” the watchdog reported, but difficulties locating functioning chargers limited their options.

The lack of accessible charging stations highlights broader issues with the Biden administration’s $5 billion program to expand EV infrastructure. As of early 2024, only seven charging stations had been constructed under the initiative launched in 2021. “That is pathetic. We’re now three years into this … That is a vast administrative failure,” Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) remarked last June.

Granholm’s choice of vehicle—a Ford Mustang Mach-E—further complicated the trip. Despite Tesla’s more extensive charging network, her team opted against using one of their models, resulting in logistical challenges and a political headache.

One particularly contentious incident occurred in Augusta, Georgia, when Granholm’s team reserved a charging spot for her by parking a gas-powered vehicle there. This left a family with a baby waiting in the heat, prompting them to call the police.
...

I suspect that driving an EV cross country would be a challenge even for government workers.  About the only charging stations I have seen in this part of Texas are at Bucky's.  Bucky's is famous in Texas for being one of the biggest gas stations on the planet as well as a place with large clean restrooms and an incredible amount of food choices for travelers. I would compare it in size to a Super Walmart.  I don't think I have ever seen more than a handful of EVs at its charging stations.

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