South Florida EV drivers face charger shortage as electric vehicle sales continue to rise

YOU CAN'T DRIVE ANYWHERE IN SOUTH FLORIDA WITHOUT BEING BUMPER TO BUMPER WITH AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE. TALK TO ANY OWNER AND THEY GET CHARGED UP QUICKLY WHEN THEY'RE ASKED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PUBLIC CHARGING STATIONS. WITH GOOD REASON. A NEW REPORT SHOWS THERE'S NOT ENOUGH INFRASTRUCTURE TO KEEP THE POWER FLOWING. NEXT, WEATHER METEOROLOGIST SCOTTIE WITHERS IS YOUR REPORTER WITH WHAT'S BEHIND IT AND A POSSIBLE SOLUTION. >> ZACHARY WHITE POWERS UP HIS TESLA EV EVERY DAY BEFORE HEADING OUT ON MIAMI'S BUSY ROADS. >> IT'S SIMPLE. IT'S LIKE A NO BRAINER FOR ME. AND PLUS, YOU'RE NOT WAITING IN A GAS LINE ANYMORE. >> AND HE'S NOT PAYING THE SOARING GAS PRICES. DRIVERS ARE PAYING FOR THEIR GAS FUELED CARS. >> THE MOST I'VE EVER SPENT ON A FULL CHARGE WAS $12. >> ACROSS THE STATE, FLORIDA DRIVERS ARE STILL BUYING EVS DESPITE POLITICAL CHANGES THAT LED TO THE END OF INCENTIVES. >> EV SALES IN FLORIDA ARE DOING REALLY WELL. THE STATE STILL RANKS NUMBER ONE IN THE REGION FOR EV SALES AND NUMBER TWO IN THE COUNTRY. >> THERE'S 335,000 ELECTRIC VEHICLES REGISTERED IN THE STATE, REPRESENTING 11% OF ALL NEW VEHICLE REGISTRATIONS. LAST YEAR. ALL THOSE EVS NEED CHARGING STATIONS. AND THAT'S WHERE ZACHARY WHITE NOTICED A PROBLEM. THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH FAST CHARGERS. >> NO, NOT IN THE CITY, BUT ALONG THE HIGHWAYS AND TURNPIKE. THERE ARE. >> THE GREEN DOTS ON THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S MAP OF CHARGERS NATIONWIDE. MAKES IT LOOK LIKE THERE ARE CHARGING STATIONS EVERYWHERE. WHEN YOU ZOOM TO FLORIDA, ONLY THE COASTAL AND TOURIST AREAS ARE COVERED. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOUTH FLORIDA, MOST OF THOSE ARE FOR PRIVATE USE AT HOTELS, CONDO AND APARTMENT COMPLEXES. THIS IS A COMMON SIGHT AT FAST CHARGING STATIONS. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE CHARGERS AT FULL. AND THEN THERE'S A LONG LINE OUT THE DRIVEWAY AND INTO THE ROAD. SEVERAL YEARS AGO, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION GAVE FLORIDA ALMOST $200 MILLION TO BUILD OUT EV CHARGING STATIONS. >> BUT AS OF TODAY, FLORIDA HAS SPENT ZERO OF THOSE DOLLARS ON DEPLOYING FAST CHARGING STATIONS. >> BUT THE LACK OF STATE INFRASTRUCTURE IS CHARGING PRIVATE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES. >> WE ARE THE INFRASTRUCTURE AT THIS MOMENT THAT IS MISSING IN THE NATION. >> CARLOS ORTIZ IS THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF BE CHARGE EV. HIS COMPANY PROVIDES ON LOCATION EV CHARGING FOR STRANDED MOTORISTS AND OWNERS WITHOUT CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE. MOST EV OWNERS, LIKE ZACHARY WHITE, DO THEIR CHARGING AT HOME AT NIGHT. >> IT'S THE CHEAPEST WAY TO GO TO IF YOU DO. IF YOU HAVE YOUR OWN HOME CHARGER, IT'S THE CHEAPE