US lawmakers propose a new, nationwide EV charging network in new bill

Right now, the push to develop a nationwide network of electric vehicle chargers is being led by the private sector. Companies like Electrify America and Chargepoint are building stations in cities and along highways throughout the country, but the network is still relatively underdeveloped.

Two members of Congress -- New York's Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Andy Levin of Michigan, both Democrats -- have proposed a new piece of legislation that would see the US government get into the business of building a nationwide charging network within five years, according to a report published Friday by Reuters.

The bill, which the representatives are calling the "EV Freedom Act," is backed by several environmental groups and even the United Auto Workers Union, which makes sense given Representative Levin's constituency.

"This is the infrastructure bill that we need to be rallying around." Rep. Ocasio-Cortez said, in a statement. "A lot of naysayers will say, 'They are trying to get rid of cars.' Well, we're not trying to get rid of cars. We're trying to actually advance and improve our fleets ... We have to go electric."

Building all of these charging stations across the US wouldn't be cheap, but both members of Congress argue that the cost will be partially offset by the number of good-paying jobs that it creates. This is a similar line of thinking to the one employed in the proposed Green New Deal resolution, which was introduced in 2019 by Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez.

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