NEW RULES FOR US-MADE EV CHARGERS

By Piero Facchin

The Biden administration has just published long-awaited final rules on its national electric vehicle charger network that require chargers to be built in the U.S. immediately and with 55 percent of their cost coming from U.S.-made components by 2024.

The administration hopes the new rules, released after nearly eight months of debate, will jump-start the biggest transformation of the U.S. driving landscape in generations. It aims to give consumers unlimited access to a growing network of electric vehicle charging stations from coast to coast, including Tesla Inc. SuperChargers.

Companies hoping to tap into the $7.5 billion in federal funding for the network must also adopt the dominant U.S. standard for charging connectors, known as the Combined Charging System, or CCS, and use standardized smartphone-friendly payment options.

Tesla, the nation’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer and charging company, plans to adopt the CCS standard and expand it beyond its proprietary connectors, the administration said.

“No matter what electric vehicle you drive, we want to make sure you can plug in, know the price you’re going to pay and charge in a predictable, user-friendly experience,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said.

The grid is a central part of U.S. President Joe Biden’s plan to combat climate change by converting 50 percent of all new vehicle sales in the U.S. to electric vehicles by 2030. A shortage of chargers on U.S. roads has slowed the growth of electric vehicle sales and the positive environmental impact, advocates say.

The first portion of the billions in federal funds will now be rolled out to states in the coming weeks, forcing companies like Tesla, EVgo Inc and ChargePoint Holdings Inc. to position themselves for their share of state government funds.

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