Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
The Biden administration floated draft regulations on Thursday that would set standards for federally financed EV charging stations as officials aim to spur a large national buildout.
The big picture: The minimum standards aim to ensure chargers are reliable and have similar payment systems, charging speeds, pricing and other consistent features.
- "Everyone should be able to find a working charging station when and where they need it without worrying about paying more or getting worse service because of where they live," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told reporters on Wednesday.
- "You shouldn't have to sort to half a dozen apps on your phone just to be able to pay," he said.
Driving the news: The proposed rules build on February guidance that encouraged EV chargers to be positioned a maximum of 50 miles apart along designated alternate fuel corridors, per the Department of Transportation.
- Plus, charging stations would be required to have a minimum of four chargers capable of charging four EVs at the same time and provide at least four Direct Current Fast Chargers, the department said.
- The proposed rules also say that charging stations must use mobile applications to provide real-time updates on availability and the price of charging ports.
What to watch: President Biden has set a goal of a national network of 500,000 public charging stations in place by 2030, and the bipartisan infrastructure law provides over $5 billion for the effort.
Go deeper... Biden moves to spend new EV charging cash
Editor's note: This story has been updated with information on the specifics of the new proposed rules.