The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the largest infrastructure package in decades earmarking $550 billion in infrastructure spending and offering key provisions for the auto industry.
A key priority in the bill is spending $7.5 billion to build a national network of 500,000 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. The government plans to use the money to build EV chargers along highway cooridors to facilitate long-distance travel and within communities.
The legislation also set key safety deadlines for the U.S. Department of Transportation. The bill imposes deadlines for the DOT to issue rules on automatic shut off for keyless ignition systems, updated headlamp standards, and equipping vehicles with drunken driving and impaired driving prevention technology.
The bill also earmarks $65 billion to upgrade the nation’s electrical grid with new transmission lines and to support “the development, demonstration, and deployment of cutting-edge clean energy technologies,” reported the White House.
The country awaits a vote on the Biden Administration’s $1.75 trillion Build Back Better Act. This legislation includes a tax credit for union-built EVs, which automakers with non-unionized factories say is unfair.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, predicts the legislation will pass before the Nov. 25 Thanksgiving holiday. House moderates reported in a statement that they will allow a vote no later than the week of Nov. 15.
