Let’s be honest, EV charging station buildout has been working fine without the input of The Government. So, sure, why not screw it up?
Biden administration announces national standards for electric vehicle charging networks
The Biden administration on Wednesday evening announced new standards to expand electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure throughout the U.S.
The standards will be laid out formally in a proposed rule from the Federal Highway Administration, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told reporters on a press call Wednesday. The rule will require EV charging stations every 50 miles and no more than a mile off the highway, emphasizing the interstate highway system and alternative fuel corridors, according to Buttigieg.
“The proposed rule requires at least four 150-kilowatt DC fast-charging ports per station so that the station can serve multiple customers, and it ensures safe installation and maintenance by qualified technicians, creating new jobs in this EV infrastructure sector,” Buttigieg said.
Does the Biden admin understand how many vehicles are on the road, and, if they want to replace all the fossil fueled ones with EVs they’ll have to be more than 4 charging stations every 50 miles? Roll into many stations along I-95 there are way more than 4 per station, and there can be a lot of stations. Oh, and, of course those techs will be union members, right?
Buttigieg said the proposal will also bar any EV charging station receiving federal funds from requiring memberships in a club or loyalty program to use the chargers, which “ensures that charging stations funded under these programs can serve a broad range of vehicles … and it sends a market signals toward a standard charging port for stations to accommodate the widest possible set of vehicles and accommodate adapters for all vehicles.”
And, of course the federal government won’t be tracking who charges their vehicle where and when, right? Or imposing restrictions if, say, you owe some back taxes or something, right?
If any elected Republican in the Senate or House had any brains they’d submit a bill requiring everyone in the Biden admin to only travel in EVs.
Goodbye gasoline cars? EU lawmakers vote to ban new sales from 2035
European lawmakers have voted to ban the sale of new diesel and gasoline cars and vans in the EU from 2035, representing a significant shot in the arm to the region’s ambitious green goals.
On Wednesday, 339 MEPs in the European Parliament voted in favor of the plans, which had been proposed by the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch. There were 249 votes against the proposal, while 24 MEPs abstained.
I wonder if lots of citizens of sovereign European nations are starting to rethink joining the EU, which was never supposed to have this much power.
Read: LGB Admin Announces National EV Charging Standards Or Something »