Dear Mr. Jensen and Ms. Horan: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce appreciates the opportunity to comment on the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) pertaining to the implementation of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program (NEVI) created under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, P.L. 117-58).
Effective implementation of programs such as NEVI and Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Program (CFIP) are important for realizing widespread adoption of electric vehicle (EV) technology. While the $7.5 billion provided under IIJA is a significant down payment towards realizing a robust national EV charging network, the 500,000 chargers this funding is expected to support is just a fraction of the nearly 1.2 million chargers McKinsey estimates will be needed in order to realize a scenario where half of all vehicles sold by 2030 are emission-free. [1] Because significant investment will likely be needed in the future to fully realize the promise of EV transition, it is critical the Administration get the fundamentals of NEVI correct as this investment will set the course for future buildout of EV infrastructure.