Reps. Andy Levin and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced the EV Freedom Act last week.
Electric vehicles – or EVs, for short – are expected to play a big role in transportation over the next decade.
It's electric!
In all seriousness, automakers are banking on EVs as a key part of their future portfolios – General Motors is even creating an electric version of the gas-guzzling Hummer – and frankly, the switch to electric seems inevitable, given the need to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels.
But while production of EVs ramps up, there’s also a problem. Where are drivers going to go to charge all those electric autos, especially when they’re out on the road?
Legislation introduced last week by Reps. Andy Levin (D-Mich.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) aims to keep EV drivers moving AND turbocharge America’s transition to EVs. The EV Freedom Act would create a national network of high-speed electric vehicle charging stations designed to allow drivers to give their cars a boost in the same amount of time that it takes to fill up a tank of gas.
Importantly, the legislation includes Buy America requirements to ensure that America’s electric vehicle infrastructure is built here, reinvesting taxpayer money into local communities and creating thousands of good-paying jobs.
In a statement, Levin likened the proposed EV charging network to the Interstate Highway System built under President Dwight Eisenhower.
“Six decades later, it’s time to expand on that idea and bring America’s infrastructure into the 21st century,” Levin said. “If we are to avoid the doomsday scenario of climate change, we have to transform our transportation system and end our reliance on fossil fuels. By doing so, we have the tremendous opportunity to supercharge our economy and create the jobs of the future, further unify our country in a sustainable way and lead the world in green energy infrastructure.”
Under the legislation, the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Energy would be directed to draft a plan to create the EV charging network, submit it to Congress, and then put the plan into action within five years.
“Establishing a nation-wide network of electric vehicles charging stations helps us reduce emissions, creates good paying jobs, and will help transition the U.S. economy to a cleaner future,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
Levin and Ocasio-Cortez aren’t the only Members of Congress who have introduced legislation to give a boost to EV infrastructure.
Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell (D) unveiled a bill in January that would support the manufacturing of EVs and accelerate the creation of charging stations to support them. California Rep. Jackie Speier (D) put forth a measure in December that would offer a tax credit to encourage drivers to buy EVs and provide incentives to build out charging stations.