Mar. 14, 2022—At a hearing entitled “Charging Forward: Securing American Manufacturing and Our EV Future,” the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy discussed how the recently passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will work as it pertains to electric vehicles and manufacturing goals for an all-electric future.
In 2021, all-electric vehicles and hybrid sales nearly doubled, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) from 300,000 in 2020 to more than 600,000.
One focus of the subcommittee is to ensure the United States is prepared for the growth of electric vehicles by assuring the country has a charging station infrastructure in place. As more electric vehicles are being manufactured and put on the road, charging stations need to be readily available in public access areas, and shop owners need to be ready to service these vehicles, stated ASA chairman Fred Hules in a press release.
“It’s important that independent shop owners are aware of policies that impact the U.S. vehicle fleet. ASA is working to ensure that shops stay up to date to reap the maximum benefits from electric vehicle infrastructure programs. As electric vehicles become increasingly more prevalent in the market, it will be essential for shops to invest in infrastructure and EV training,” he said.