WASHINGTON, DC – In an effort to wisely expand the country’s network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, the Biden administration today unveiled new domestic manufacturing standards for federally-funded electric vehicle chargers and announced commitments from companies such as Tesla, General Motors, and other manufacturers to work with the federal government to build out a network of public charging stations nationwide.

U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), a senior member of the Appropriations Committee and the author of the Electric Vehicle Grid Readiness, Improvement, and Development (EV GRID) Act (S. 4148), heralded the Biden Administration’s new EV charging station standards and comprehensive steps forward to ensure a convenient, reliable network of charging stations nationwide.

Reed’s EV GRID Act, which was enacted as part of the Fiscal Year 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act, (P.L. 117-328), directs the U.S. Department of Energy to study and develop a plan to prepare the nation’s power grid for the influx of electricity demand related to EV adoption.

“As America charges ahead toward a cleaner energy future, and as more consumers choose to purchase electric vehicles, the federal government needs to do its part to ensure we have the infrastructure in place to make re-charging an EV as convenient as filling up at a gas station.  Just as we have standards for fuel fill inlets and gas nozzles so that every brand of car can refuel at every brand of gas station, we need a similar system to make things convenient and efficient for EV re-charging.  Similarly, we need accessibility and pricing regulations to ensure every consumer, regardless what kind of EV they drive or where they recharge, knows what they are paying when they plug-in, and gets a fair deal,” said Reed.

According to the White House, the new EV regulations will be overseen by the U.S. Departments of Transportation and Energy.

Under the “Build America, Buy America” guidelines announced today, effective immediately, all new charging stations receiving federal funds must complete final assembly in the U.S., and any external housing for chargers must also be manufactured domestically to be eligible for federal funds.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (P.L. 117-58) set aside $5 billion in National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) funding in order to expand the U.S. network to 500,000 chargers, along highways and in communities.

Rhode Island is slated to receive a total of $22 million in formula funding for EV charging infrastructure from the law.  Additionally, state and local governments can apply for a share of an additional $2.5 billion in competitive grant funding for EV charging station networks under DOT’s Charging and Fueling Infrastructure discretionary grant program.

The Biden Administration projects the U.S. will have 500,000 EV chargers in place by 2030.