BulletinsFebruary 6, 2020
Legislation announced for national electric car charging network.
Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Andy Levin announced the "EV Freedom Act" on Thursday to build high-speed charging stations across U.S. highways.
- The act calls for the rollout of affordable, interoperable and fast charging stations.
- Many autoworkers live in Levin's Detroit district, and the hope is to boost electric vehicles by alleviating so-called "range anxiety."
- It's not the first time this idea has been floated; Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden and Mike Bloomberg have all suggested similar plans. For Bloomberg, it's a necessity: He'd ban sales of non-electric cars by 2035.
- The representatives may face questions about how this will be funded. POLITICO reported on Thursday that senior members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee believe EV drivers should pay for road usage, which is captured from other drivers in gas taxes.
- Meanwhile, EV charging network ChargePoint announced a partnership with truck stop association NATSO. The two will "leverage $1 billion in capital" to roll out charging stations at over 4,000 locations in the next 10 years.