Biden Administration Announces New Steps To Deliver Made-in-America EV Charging Network Across US

The Biden Administration announced its latest set of actions aimed at creating a convenient, reliable and Made-in-America electric vehicle (EV) charging stations network across the country.

These steps will help the United States meet President jOE Biden’s ambitious goals to confront the climate crisis, by building a national network of 500,000 electric vehicle chargers along U.S. highways and in communities and have EVs make up at least 50 percent of new car sales by 2030. This will be implemented as part of advancing an industrial strategy to continue to build-out the domestic EV and EV charging industry.

The Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Department of Energy, finalized new standards to make charging EVs convenient and reliable for all Americans, including when driving long distances. The new standards will ensure everyone can use the network – no matter what car you drive or which state you charge in.

All 50 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico are participating in the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program and initial investments will electrify more than 75,000 miles of the national highway system. These standards will direct federal dollars to build out a national EV charging network that is user-friendly, reliable, and accessible so that charging is as easy as filling up at a gas station.

Until now, there were no comprehensive standards for the installation, operation, or maintenance of EV charging stations, and disparities exist among EV charging stations in key areas, such as connector types, payment methods, data privacy, speed and power of chargers, reliability, and the overall user experience. A recent survey of EV users reported frustration with chargers that are too slow, too crowded, or that just don’t work.

Effective immediately, all EV chargers funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law must be built in the United States. The plan requires that final assembly and all manufacturing processes for any iron or steel charger enclosures or housing occur in the United States. By July 2024, at least 55 percent of the cost of all components will need to be manufactured domestically as well.

The Department of Energy has announced $7.4 million in funding for seven projects to develop innovative medium-and heavy-duty EV charging and hydrogen corridor infrastructure plans across 23 states.

“This is a major step toward a world where every EV user will be able to find safe, reliable charging stations anywhere in the country,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “We’re establishing common, universal standards for EV charging stations just like the ones for gas stations, so that recharging an EV away from home will be as predictable and accessible as filling up a gas tank,” he added.

There are now more than three million Electrical Vehicles on the road and more than 130,000 public chargers across the country.

Companies including Tesla, General Motors, EVgo, Pilot, Hertz and bp, among others, are announcing new commitments to expand their networks by thousands of public charging ports in the next two years.

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