The final tally on Jan. 10 was along party lines, 211–197.
In accordance with the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, more than 55 percent of EV components must be made in the United States.
Three Democrats—Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), and Jon Tester (D-Mont.)—joined 46 Republicans and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) in getting the disapproval resolution passed in the Senate in November.
The White House has said President Biden would veto the resolution.
Moreover, the measure “would undermine the hundreds of millions of dollars that the private sector has already invested in domestic EV charging manufacturing and chill further domestic investment in this critical market.”
The Biden administration requiring most materials for electric vehicle chargers be made in America ensures “that federal dollars for EV chargers are used to purchase American-made products while allowing newly announced manufacturing capacity for EV charger components the necessary time to ramp up production,” said OMB.
“America led the arrival of the automotive era, and now we have a chance to lead the world in the EV revolution—securing jobs, savings, and benefits for Americans in the process,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
“This funding will help ensure that EV chargers are accessible, reliable, and convenient for American drivers while creating jobs in charger manufacturing, installation, and maintenance for American workers,” he said.
The administration’s goal is to have 500,000 charging stations nationwide by 2030.
“Every community across the nation deserves access to convenient and reliable clean transportation,” said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. “The Biden-Harris Administration is bringing an accessible, made-in-America charging network into thousands of communities while cutting the carbon pollution that is driving the climate crisis.
“These investments through the CFI Program will grow our national EV charging network, support President Biden’s goals of achieving net-zero emissions for the nation by 2050, and promote opportunity for all Americans to enjoy the benefits of EV charging,” said Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt, referring to the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program, which came about due to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
However, in an apparent setback for the Biden administration’s green agenda, rental car company Hertz announced it is doing away with 20,000 EVs in exchange for gas-powered vehicles.
Nonetheless, said Hertz in the filing, the company “continues to implement a series of initiatives that it anticipates will continue to improve the profitability of the remaining EV fleet,” such as the “expansion of EV charging infrastructure, growing relationships with EV manufacturers, particularly related to more affordable access to parts and labor, and continued implementation of policies and educational tools to help enhance the EV experience for customers.”