The new proposed rule would require half a million electric vehicle chargers that it plans to fund to be interoperable, similar to how a gas pump would work with any vehicle. Charging stations funded under the federal program will also be open to anyone — prohibiting any membership requirements — and setting a common standard for payment and other technologies. Charging stations will be built along the highways of America.
The new initiative is part of the administration’s efforts to ensure that electric charging is accessible to all Americans and to target key concerns that prevent drivers from purchasing electric vehicles. Key among them is range anxiety, the driver’s fear that he may not have enough charge to get to the next pickup station.
The Biden administration is also targeting other concerns by requiring standardized pricing and payment systems, and pouring billions into other efforts such as fast battery charging technology.
If its draft is finalized, the rule will apply to chargers funded under the federal infrastructure law signed last November. It includes about $5 billion that will go to states to build charging networks, including funding targeting chargers along highways and other major roads.
“To support the transition to electric vehicles, we must build a national charging network that makes finding a cargo as easy as filling it up at a gas station,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said.
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