In a major victory for electric vehicle (EV) drivers, on July 1, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H. R. 2, the Moving Forward Act. The major package is essentially a wish list that Plug In America has had for federal EV policy, including all of the following:
- Sec. 90431 – Federal EV tax credit: Increases the cap on the Section 30D federal EV tax credit to a total of 600,000 credits per auto manufacturer (versus the current 200,000 credits) – essentially, this will let the tax credit work for more drivers for a longer period of time.
- Sec. 90432 – Used EV tax credit: Creates a new tax credit for buyers of used EVs, providing more options to consumers who are low-income. The credit is capped at the lesser of $2,500 credit or 30% of the sale price.
- Sec. 33333 – Expanding Access to EVs in Underserved Communities: Requires that the Department of Energy conduct an assessment of the barriers and opportunities for deployment of EV charging stations in underserved communities and disadvantaged communities.
- Sec. 33332 – EV Charging Station rebate program: Creates a new rebate program for installing EV charging stations at multi-unit dwellings, workplaces or commercial locations that are open to the public for at least 12 hours a day.
- Sec. 1211: Accessibility, Rest Areas and Signage: Requires that EV charging stations that are funded through the Highway Trust Fund (and all other areas under title 23) to be usable by the majority of EV drivers. Also allows for EV charging stations at Interstate rest areas or park & ride locations. And, calls for the Department of Transportation to update the EV signage manuals in order to provide uniform signage to locate EV charging stations.
- Sec. 50002 – U.S. Postal Service to go electric: Requires at least 75% of any new vehicles purchased by the U.S. Postal Service to be EVs. And, each post office location open to the public must have at least 1 charging station by 2026. The fleet of medium and heavy-duty trucks must also be at least 30% electric by 2030.
- Sec. 33340 – U.S. Federal fleet to go electric: Requires that beginning in FY 2025, at least 50% of the vehicles purchased for the federal fleet must be EVs (and the other 50% must be alternative fueled vehicles).
- Sec. 33338 – Funding for State Transportation Electrification Plans: Calls for funding for State Energy Transportation Plans, which must include plans to deploy a network of EV charging stations, reduce fossil fuels and improve air quality by transportation electrification.
- Sec. 33337 – Utilities and Transportation Electrification: Requires states to consider allowing for measures to encourage deployment of EV charging stations by utilities, including letting the utility recover investments in the EV charging stations.
Unfortunately, the bill is unlikely to pass the Senate, due to larger politics at play. However, we remain thrilled that these policies have made it this far, making it more likely that these will be passed in the future. We especially appreciate the more than 1,500 Plug In America supporters who responded to our urgent action alert and contacted their U.S. representatives within 24 hours. Our collective voices are making an impact in Washington, D.C. and Congress is finally taking EVs seriously!
Please stay tuned, because there may be opportunities to put some of these policies into must-pass legislation later this year and we will need your help!
