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DEARBORN, MI – Today, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) reintroduced comprehensive legislation to support and advance the development, production, and deployment of electric vehicles (EV) and EV charging infrastructure across the United States. Included in both House Democrats' landmark climate change and infrastructure legislation, the U.S.A. Electrify Forward Act would provide a roadmap for retooling domestic electric vehicle manufacturing across the United States, update building codes, and expanding investments and deployment of charging infrastructure.

“American workers are ready to build electric vehicles that are affordable and efficient, but our government needs to step up its leadership to provide the right policies and infrastructure necessary to compete in this global market. The U.S.A. Electrify Forward Act will help solidify American’s leadership and competitiveness,” said Congresswoman Dingell. “If we are serious about combating climate change, we need to convert and retool manufacturing facilities to bring electric vehicles to market, while making historic investments in charging infrastructure and the domestic production of key components like batteries and technology. We need to act now to pass this bill that will create jobs in Michigan and around the country, combat climate change, and ensure our nation’s rightful place at the forefront of auto manufacturing.”

Americans are interested in electric vehicles, but fear of affordability, range, and charging makes them slow to adopt. According to a May 2019 AAA survey, only 16 percent of Americans say they would consider an electric vehicle for their next car purchase because consumers were concerned about purchase price, repair costs, and finding or running out of a charge.

Specifically, the U.S.A. Electrify Forward Act would:

1. Establish a domestic manufacturing conversion grant program to convert or retool manufacturing facilities accelerating domestic manufacturing of electric vehicles, batteries, power electronics, and other technologies and create jobs here at home.
2. Require DOE to update residential and commercial building codes to encourage the instillation of EV charging infrastructure so consumers can charge EVs at home and work;
3. Expand the definition of “qualified electric transportation projects” under the Energy Independence and Security Act grant programs and reauthorizes the program at $2 billion per year from fiscal year 2021 through 2030 for the grants to State and local governments and private entities, and provide $2.5 billion per year over the same period for large-scale projects to electrify the transportation sector.
4. Require states to explore and consider new measures to encourage deployment of EV charging stations, including entities outside regulated utilities.

Dingell leads a coalition to take on the climate change crisis. As the lead of the THRIVE Resolution, she has spearheaded efforts to leverage clean energy policies to rebuild the economy after the COVID-19 pandemic. Dingell also leads the House bill to establish a Clean Energy & Sustainability Accelerator to create as much as $884 billion in total investment over the next decade to finance clean energy projects. She, along with Reps. A. Donald McEachin (D-VA, Deb Haaland (D-NM), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Paul Tonko (D-NY), and Chellie Pingree (D-ME), led comprehensive legislation last Congress to set a nationwide goal of achieving a 100 percent clean energy economy by 2050, defined as net-zero climate pollution across all sectors of the United States’ economy. This is now the overarching national goal included in the CLEAN Future Act.