The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced strict new “Buy American” requirements mandating that EV chargers be built entirely with U.S.-sourced components to qualify for federal funding, a move industry experts warn will effectively halt the expansion of the national charging network.
A New Hurdle for NEVI Funding
The proposal mandates that EV chargers must increase their U.S.-made content from the current 55 percent threshold to 100 percent to be eligible for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program. This policy shift follows previous attempts by the Trump administration to freeze the $5 billion in funding originally allocated under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Supply Chain Realities vs. Policy
Industry leaders argue that the requirement is disconnected from current manufacturing capabilities. Because the global supply chain for charging equipment is heavily anchored in China—which has dominated the sector through years of investment and subsidies—no existing EV charging station in the U.S. currently meets a 100 percent domestic sourcing standard.
According to Ingrid Malmgren, policy director at Plug In America, while final assembly, enclosures, and cables are often produced domestically, critical components like power modules and advanced electronics are sourced globally. Forcing an immediate transition to total domestic production creates a de facto moratorium on new infrastructure projects.
Impact on Industry and Job Growth
Albert Gore, executive director of the Zero Emission Transportation Association, warned that the proposal fails to account for the current state of the industry. “This proposal does not meet industry where it is today and may discourage further investment in the production of U.S.-made EV chargers,” Gore stated. He added that the policy could ultimately undermine the very job growth that “Buy America” initiatives aim to foster.
Concerns Over Strategic Intent
Environmental advocates, including Katherine Garcia of the Sierra Club, have characterized the move as a bad-faith effort to dismantle the NEVI program. With states like Georgia recently beginning to receive the $134 million in funding promised for charging stalls, the sudden regulatory shift threatens to derail progress just as deployment was gaining momentum.
Critics argue that if the administration were genuinely interested in bolstering domestic manufacturing, it would implement a realistic, incremental timeline. Instead, the current proposal is seen as a strategic roadblock designed to restrict the growth of clean transportation infrastructure across the United States.
