The group is asking the Biden administration to invest in building charging infrastructure dedicated to heavy-duty vehicles such as buses, trucks, and medium vehicles.
Tesla, joined with other EV companies and environmental groups, is requesting the Biden administration to invest in building charging infrastructure. They ask to allocate charging points specifically for electric trucks, electric buses, and other medium to heavy-duty electric vehicles.
The companies pointed out the lack of charging stations for heavy-duty electric vehicles.
In 2021, the US government approved a new infrastructure bill, which included $7.5 billion in funding specifically for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
In a letter addressed to US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the group asks the Biden administration to allocate at least 10% of the funding for electric vehicle charging for medium to heavy electric vehicles.
“Most public EV charging infrastructure has been designed and built with passenger vehicles in mind. The size and location of spaces reflect an interest in servicing the. driving public, not larger commercial vehicles.” The group stated in its letter.
Of course, America’s roads are mainly filled with passenger car vehicles, and the charging infrastructure focuses on light vehicles. There are almost none mentioned for the heavy-duty vehicles.
As electric trucks gradually gain momentum, the charging infrastructure hinders their mass adoption.
The group said that “but while heavy-duty vehicles make up only ten percent of all Vehicles on roads in the United States, they contribute 45% of the transportation sector’s nitrogen oxide pollution, 57% of its fine particulate matter pollution, and 28% of its global warming emissions,”
If the proposal comes to fruition, it will support the deployment of a developed >1 MW charging standard for electric trucks. It would also help accelerate the sales of heavy-duty vehicles and help to reduce a massive number of emissions coming from gas-powered trucks.
Accordingly, the Biden Administration has already made ’emission control’ from large vehicles a priority. The Department of Transportation also funds electric transit buses for state and local governments. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also proposed a new rule that would require new trucks to cut nitrogen oxide emissions by 90% by 2031.
