Electric Vehicle Chargers Also Subject to 'Buy America' Rule: "Must Use 55% US Components"

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] The Joe Biden administration in the United States has mandated that, similar to electric vehicles, electric vehicle chargers must also have a certain percentage of final assembly and parts manufacturing done in the U.S. to qualify for government subsidies.

The White House and the U.S. Department of Transportation announced detailed 'Buy America' regulations for electric vehicle chargers on the 15th (local time).

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

According to the Infrastructure Law enacted in November 2021, electric vehicle chargers receiving subsidies must comply with the 'Buy America' rules requiring the use of American-made materials. The disclosed detailed regulations state that from this day forward, the final assembly of chargers and the steel exterior casing enclosing the charger must be manufactured in the U.S. to qualify for subsidies.

Additionally, starting July 2024, at least 55% of the total component costs for electric vehicle chargers must be sourced from American-made parts.

Along with this, the U.S. government has established standards regarding charger connection specifications, payment methods, charging speed, and voltage to ensure that all drivers can use electric vehicle chargers regardless of the EV brand. The White House explained, "The new standards ensure that everyone can use the charging network no matter what car you drive or which state you charge in."

In response, Tesla has decided to partially open its proprietary charging stations, 'Supercharger' and 'Destination' chargers, to electric vehicles from other companies. Tesla plans to open at least 7,500 chargers in the U.S. to all electric vehicles by 2024.

Furthermore, the White House reported that South Korea's SK Signet is establishing its first charger factory in Texas and will produce 10,000 ultra-fast chargers annually starting from the second quarter of 2023. Currently, there are over 130,000 public electric vehicle chargers in the U.S. The Biden administration aims to install 500,000 chargers by 2030.