FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 08/11/2021

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA) joined 23 other groups representing tens of thousands of companies, union members, investors, and advocates to push for the creation of a national electric vehicle (EV) charging network, which we need in order to cut pollution, create jobs, address racial inequities, and curb climate change. In a joint memorandum of understanding, ZETA and the coalition’s other participants pledged to collaborate with all levels of government to build this national charging network for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty EVs. More information about this coalition can be found at www.evcharginginitiative.com.

“Broad EV adoption is predicated on a massive buildout of EV charging infrastructure, which will also serve to create new jobs,” said Joe Britton, the Executive Director of ZETA. “To ensure that we can achieve ZETA’s policy priority of reaching 100% EV sales by 2030, we must build a robust national EV charging network.”

The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which passed the Senate by a 69-30 margin and will now be considered by the House of Representatives, includes $7.5 billion for EV charging infrastructure, which is a good start. As ZETA noted in an interview with Bloomberg News, however, at least $20–30 billion will be needed in the next ten years to develop a sufficient national charging network.

In addition to allowing for higher EV adoption rates, developing a vast EV charging network will generate thousands of good-paying domestic jobs. The IEA found that EV charging infrastructure creates more jobs than investing in highways or in traditional car manufacturing, supporting over 12 jobs per million dollars of investment. These jobs will span the manufacturing and electrical installation sectors.

“Deploying a national EV charging network is a win-win,” said Britton. “We will create jobs and boost domestic manufacturing, stimulating local economies across the country. We will also facilitate the EV transition, which will boost public health, cut emissions, and generate cost-savings for everyday Americans.”‍

About ZETA‍

The Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA) is a federal coalition focused on advocating for 100% EV sales by 2030. ZETA is committed to enacting policies that drive EV adoption, create hundreds of thousands of jobs, secure American global EV manufacturing dominance, drastically improve public health, and significantly reduce carbon pollution.