1 of 3 | US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm delivers remarks during a visit to Brandywine Maintenance Facility in Brandywine, Md., in December. The White House announced Thursday that Department of Energy is partnering with the Department of Transportation to develop new standards for EV charge stations to make them as accessible as gas stations. Photo by Michael Reynolds/UPI |
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June 9 (UPI) -- The Biden-Harris administration Thursday proposed new standards for a national electric charging network for electric vehicles so charge stations will be as accessible as gas stations.
The White House said in a statement that $7.5 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investments for EV charging infrastructure will enable families to "plug-in, charge-up and drive across America."
The Department of Transportation is partnering with the Department of Energy in proposing the new EV charging network standards.
"To support the transition to electric vehicles, we must build a national charging network that makes finding a charge as easy as filling up at a gas station," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. "These new ground rules will help create a network of EV chargers across the country that are convenient, affordable, reliable and accessible for all Americans."
Among other things, the proposed standards will set strong certification standards for workers installing, operating and maintaining the EV charging network, according to the Transportation Department.
The goal is to create a seamless national network of EV charging infrastructure able to communicate and operate on the same software platforms from state to state.
"We're tackling range anxiety and vehicle charging deserts by making sure that charging stations are easily and equally accessible, allowing every American to get coast to coast in an electric vehicle," U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said in the statement.
"The investments made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will not only build an interconnected national charging network, but also boost local economies and strengthen our independence from the volatilities of fossil fuels," Granholm said.
A new advisory group -- the Federal Advisory Committee Act Electric Vehicle Working Group -- has also been formed to make recommendations on development, adoption and integration of EV's into America's transportation and energy systems.
The White House said Thursday that EV sales have doubled since Biden took office, with two million EV's and 100,000 chargers on the roads.
In an executive order last year, Biden set a goal for half of all new vehicles made in America to be electric in some form by the end of the 2020s.