EV charging market is exploding
The U.S. EV charging station market is projected to grow at a 30.7% CAGR through 2031 — demand for home installs is set to surge alongside commercial buildouts. But a coalition of 20 states is pushing back on a proposed federal Buy America waiver, a policy fight that could slow federally funded charger rollouts and ripple into local supply choices. ((openpr.com)) ((evinfrastructurenews.com))
The Federal Highway Administration issued a notice proposing to modify its 2023 EV-charger Buy America waiver by raising the domestic-content threshold for federally funded chargers from 55% to up to 100%, with the agency seeking public comment on the change. (federalregister.gov) U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy framed the proposal as an expansion of Buy America that would boost domestic manufacturing, create American jobs, and address national-security concerns in remarks and a DOT briefing announcing the change on February 10, 2026. (transportation.gov) Twenty state attorneys general plus the governor of Kentucky filed a comment letter on March 16, 2026 opposing the FHWA proposal, naming Colorado, California, Washington, Arizona, Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota among the signatories. (oag.ca.gov) Those same state officials warned in their March 16 filing that the proposed 100% requirement would effectively make the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) formula program unusable for states seeking to deploy federally funded chargers. (reuters.com) The NEVI Formula Program was authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to provide nearly $5 billion over five years to states for EV charging along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors, with states required to submit deployment plans before accessing funds. (transportation.gov) State attorneys general and industry observers said no current charger on the market meets a 100% U.S.-made-components standard and that some critical components are not produced domestically, citing Wellesley College and industry analyses showing existing U.S. charger factories still rely on imported parts. (eenews.net) The FHWA notice states the agency will decide whether to continue, modify, or discontinue the waiver after reviewing comments, and the proposal’s critics say that process — combined with recent pauses and revised NEVI guidance — has already delayed state rollout timelines and could push procurement toward a narrower set of domestic suppliers. (fhwa.dot.gov) (utilitydive.com)
