The Biden administration on Wednesday opened a new inquiry into the shape of the future U.S. electric-vehicle charging network as the U.S. navigates an awkward straddle between two technologies.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) asked for public input on the minimum standards for EV charging networks that are receiving $7.5 billion in funding from 2021’s bipartisan infrastructure law.
At issue is the role of two standards. One is the charging system built by leading EV-maker Tesla — a technology that automakers are increasingly moving to adopt. The other, the Combined Charging System, or CCS, is in use by most non-Tesla EVs on the road today.
The request for information seeks perspectives on the market trajectory of each of the two systems and how federal standards should be designed to accommodate any future technological upheavals. The ROI is in conjunction with the Department of Energy and Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, and the comment period ends April 5.
