The federal government on Thursday outlined further plans for a national electric vehicle charging network funded by the Biden administration’s infrastructure law.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). recommended minimum standards for the network, the goal is to install 500,000 chargers by 2030.
FHWA is recommending a minimum of four 150 kw connectors per DC fast charge site. According to the proposal, these sites should be located 50 miles apart and less than a mile from the freeway.
Electrify America’s premium charging concepts
The proposal also calls for increased interoperability to address the current difficulty of charging at stations with different hardware, with different operators, as well as pricing that doesn’t require membership or a guest program. friendly goods. Maintenance provisions are also included, which can help reduce the current reliability of public chargers.
Without proposing its own rules, the FHWA also called for public input on how to develop standards for rescuing devalued electric vehicles. FHWA notes that abundant toll stations will make such incidents rare, but having protocols in place can reduce traffic disruptions and increase safety if they do occur, FHWA notes. idea.
This is starting to take shape with infrastructure bills last November — but that’s just the beginning for a $7.5 billion nationwide network of 500,000 chargers.
Volvo piloting fast charging network, through Starbucks
Late last year, it launched some early instructionsas well as the continuation of the separate Alternative Fuel Corridor program, followed by a call earlier this year for states to submit plans about how they will use their share of the funding.
It still raises the question of whether an existing network, such as Tesla’s may be willing to become part of such a national network. If Tesla is open on access and pricing, it probably is. But with today’s rules, that seems increasingly unlikely.
