Washington, D.C. – The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced new standards for a Made in America national network of electric vehicle (EV) chargers Wednesday. Its final plan for compliance with the Build America, Buy America Act mandates that, effective immediately, all federally-funded EV chargers be built in the United States. Additionally, the FHWA’s guidelines require that final assembly and all manufacturing processes for any iron or steel charger enclosures or housing occur in the United States. At least 55% of the cost of all EV charger components must be Made in America by July 2024.
Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul said:
“The Biden administration’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure announcement represents significant progress in realizing a cleaner future that’s Made in America. The results are already clear: Manufacturers are investing in the United States, creating jobs and cultivating a domestic supply chain that would not have been possible otherwise. Made in America EV chargers will no longer be a rhetorical policy aspiration but a reality.
“We need more Buy America implementation plans that offer specific timelines and market signals, as this announcement does. Buy America provisions leverage infrastructure spending into U.S. economic activity, well paid jobs, stronger supply chains, reduced reliance on imports from foreign adversaries, and a cleaner economy. We must also ensure that the guidance remains free of loopholes that undermine the congressional intent of the Build America, Buy America aspects of the infrastructure law.”
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) invests $7.5 billion in EV charging, complementing the Inflation Reduction Act’s incentives for EV battery production and expanded tax credits for the purchase of EVs. Through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program, a $5 billion fund, the Biden administration has committed to the mission of building out a national network of 500,000 Made in America EV chargers by 2030.
Since President Biden assumed office, more than $100 billion has been privately invested in EV, battery, and charger manufacturing.
There is widespread bipartisan support for Buy America policies. A whopping 83% of voters agree that taxpayer dollars should go toward infrastructure projects that utilize American-made projects, a recent Alliance for American Manufacturing poll conducted by Morning Consult finds.
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