The White House issued long-awaited final rules on its national electric vehicle charger network that require the chargers to be built in the USA, and with 55 percent of their cost coming from U.S.-made components by 2024.
The Biden administration has worked diligently on the new rules. After nearly eight months of debate, the White House this will jump-start the biggest transformation of the U.S. driving landscape in generations.
Companies that hope to tap $7.5 billion in federal funding for the EV charging network must also adopt the dominant U.S. standard for charging connectors, known as “Combined Charging System” or CCS; use standardized payment options; a single method of identification that works across all chargers; and work 97 percent of the time.
Tesla plans to incorporate the CCS standard and make other changes to its proprietary network that limits which EVs can use the Superchargers.
Tesla has made these changes in other parts of the world – Europe, China, for example – since at least 2021, and there is no logical reason this cannot be incorporated anywhere else.
The White House is partnering with Tesla to expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the US, with the company opening at least 7,500 of its chargers to all electric vehicles (EVs) by the end of 2024, the White House announced on Wednesday.
Tesla’s agreement to open part of its proprietary car-charging network to drivers of other brands should make it far easier for electric vehicle (EV) owners to charge away from home, potentially accelerating adoption.
Highlights as spelled out by the White House ::
- The Department of Transportation (DOT), in partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE), 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. The standards also require strong workforce standards;
- The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) outlined its final plan for compliance with the Build America, Buy America Act for federally funded EV chargers. Effective immediately, all EV chargers funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law must be built in the United States. The plan requires that, effective immediately, 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 new Joint Office of Energy and Transportation released a notice of intent to issue a funding opportunity for its Ride and Drive Electric research and development program. This program will advance the goal of building a national network of EV chargers for all Americans by supporting EV charging reliability, resiliency, equity, and workforce development;
- The DOE announced US$7.4 million in funding for seven projects to develop innovative medium-and heavy-duty EV charging and hydrogen corridor infrastructure plans serving millions of Americans across 23 states;
- FHWA announced details for its soon-to-launch Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) discretionary grant program. The program will make available more than $2.5 billion over five years – including $700 million in funding through the first round of funding available to states, localities, Tribes, territories, and public authorities – to deploy publicly accessible charging and alternative fueling infrastructure in communities across the country, including at schools, grocery stores, parks, libraries, apartment complexes, and everywhere else Americans live and work; and,
- The Administration highlighted major manufacturing and other new facilities spurred by these investments and the Biden-Harris Administration’s Made in America policies, including new commitments from domestic EV charging manufacturers and network operators.