The Biden Administration, fresh off its legislative victory for the Infrastructure Act, released an EV Charging Action Plan which outlines steps that federal agencies will take to build and support a nationwide charging network.
The Infrastructure Act allocates funding for developing 500,000 chargers across the U.S. The law provides some $5 billion for helping funding states to build that network of chargers, including $2.5 billion for a grant program supporting approaches to rural charging.
Among the actions taken by the presidential administration Monday include an announced to establish a Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will work together to complete a memorandum of understanding to formally launch the joint office.
The White House also will convene a series of stakeholder meetings focused on partnerships among state and local governments, domestic manufacturing, civil rights, tribal communities, and environmental advocates.
By February 11, 2022, the U.S. Department of Transportation will publish a guidance for states and cities to strategically deploy EV charging stations and build out the national network on the Interstate Highway system. Federal agencies also will work with domestic manufacturers to gain more information to ensure that all manufacturing and assembly processes be shifted into the U.S.
“The current network of over 100,000 public chargers operates with different plug types, payment options, data availability, and hardware hookups,” reads the release from the White House. “Today’s actions will establish a more uniform approach, provide greater convenience for customers, and offer increased confidence for industry.”
The Infrastructure Law allocates $3 billion toward competitive grants for materials to develop the North American battery supply chain, another $3 billion for rebuilding and retooling U.S. manufacturing and recycling facilties, in addition to other funding avenues for U.S.-based electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
