White House reveals new standards for nationwide EV charging network

New rules for electric vehicle charging across the United States have been announced, with the Biden administration saying that newly built EV chargers must be available and affordable to all EV drivers regardless of vehicle type. 

The administration previously revealed its $5 billion “National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program,” which plans to create a nationwide network of 500,000 EV chargers that will be placed along so-called “Alternative Fuel Corridors” spanning over 165,000 miles on U.S. highways. 

The funding is a push to improve and expand the current EV charging network, which consists of around 100,000 chargers but includes many broken or hard-to-access stations. 

The new standards require EV chargers to be placed at least every 50 miles along this network, and they cannot be more than one mile off the highways. Many consumers have so-called “range anxiety” and are hesitant to switch to EVs because of the time it takes to charge the vehicles; at least four chargers at each station must be faster, 150kW DC chargers.

The new rules also state that EV charging companies must provide customers with real-time updates on the availability and operational status of their chargers. EV charging companies that receive funding from the U.S. are also prohibited from making users sign up for memberships. 

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, “no matter where you live or where you’re headed, everyone should be able to count on fast charging, fair pricing, and easy-to-use payment for their EVs.”

States are tasked with planning the locations of chargers throughout the states, including rural and less-populated areas. States must send their proposals by August 1, and the government will decide on them by the end of September. 

Did you enjoy this article from Kimberly Hurley? Read other articles on CBT News here. Please share your thoughts, comments, or questions regarding this topic by submitting a letter to the editor here, or connect with us at newsroom@cbtnews.com.