The framing of the rules has been in the works for nearly eight months as it is expected to impact existing charging station providers such as EVgo Inc and ChargePoint Holdings Inc. However, the most significant impact is anticipated on Elon Musk’s Tesla, which, apart from being the largest EV maker in the country, also has an extensive charging infrastructure, which will now be required to be accessible for all EV users and not just Tesla’s customers.
Rules for national EV charging network in the U.S.
The U.S. government has a budget outlay of $7.5 billion for rolling out the national EV charging network. However, if charging providers such as Tesla want to tap into this funding, they must follow some ground rules first.
Chargers on the network need to comply with the Combined Charging System (CCS), the U.S. standard for charging connectors that have been gaining dominance in the industry. For Tesla, this would mean providing a connector to go with its CHAdeMO charger or shifting to CCS immediately. According to the Reuters report, Tesla plans to make this shift, but it is unclear when.
By supplying an adapter, Tesla could further delay the transition of its cars to the CCS system. However, with most new cars using the CCS system, this would make the Tesla charging network inaccessible to them. Advocates have warned that delaying the rollout would punish car manufacturers who moved early to comply with the rules.