Contact: Noah Barnes, Electrification Coalition
noah@electrification.org, (202) 461-2371
WASHINGTON—Today, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced a proposal to revise the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA) to require that 100 percent of all components used in manufactured products under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), including electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, must be produced in the United States. Previously, at least 55 percent of the total cost of all components of manufactured products was required to be produced in the United States.
The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) and Charging & Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) programs were created under the IIJA to build a robust, national EV charging network that Americans can depend upon. Thousands of charging stations that meet the current BABA requirements are now being deployed along highways and in communities. However, by increasing the threshold to 100 percent, no charging manufacturer can currently meet that requirement, putting this critical deployment at risk.
While the goal to increase American manufacturing and jobs in this growing sector is important, we also need to be realistic about how we meet the current moment. We also need to give companies a reasonable timeframe to meet any new requirements.
Ben Prochazka, executive director of the Electrification Coalition, responded:
“The Electrification Coalition strongly supports efforts to expand American manufacturing and strengthen domestic supply chains. Building the future of transportation in the United States is essential for our economic security, our global competitiveness, and our national resilience.
“However, increasing the Build America, Buy America (BABA) domestic content requirement to 100 percent at this time would have significant consequences. Today, no EV charging manufacturer can meet a 100 percent threshold, and this change would effectively end the goal of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program and years of investment from communities across the country.
“The rapid and reliable expansion of EV charging is critical to giving consumers more choices, diversifying how we power transportation, driving American job growth, and ensuring the U.S. auto industry remains competitive against Chinese automakers.
“If approved, this would be another setback for the U.S. auto industry and for the major investments that have already been made to build in America. We urge the administration to pursue a balanced approach—one that continues pushing industry toward greater domestic production while preserving the momentum needed to build out the charging infrastructure that is foundational to America’s transportation future.”
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About the Electrification Coalition: The Electrification Coalition is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes policies and actions to facilitate the widespread adoption of plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) on a mass scale to overcome the economic, public health and national security challenges that stem from America’s dependence on oil. ElectrificationCoalition.org