Overview
- FHWA on Feb. 10 issued a Notice of Proposed Modification to raise the domestic-content requirement for chargers bought with federal funds from 55% to as high as 100%, opening a public comment period.
- After reviewing comments, the agency says it could keep the current waiver, modify it, or discontinue it, determining which equipment qualifies for NEVI funding.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says the change is intended to boost U.S. manufacturing and protect national security by limiting foreign components with cybersecurity risks.
- Industry and environmental groups, including ZETA, the Sierra Club, and the Electrification Coalition, say no current maker can meet 100% U.S.-sourced components and warn the move would stall deployments and raise costs.
- The proposal follows a federal court ruling that blocked an earlier freeze of NEVI funds, congressional rescission of roughly $800 million, and recent efforts to withhold disbursements to some Democratic-led states.