U.S. New Rule Mandates 100% Domestic EV Charger Production; Industry Calls It Unrealistic and Unworkable

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced that electric vehicle (EV) charging stations funded by federal dollars must be built using 100% American-made components—a significant increase from the current domestic content requirement of 55%. The move aims to bolster the "Buy American" initiative, but industry groups and environmental organizations have warned that the policy is disconnected from reality and could severely delay the nationwide rollout of EV charging infrastructure. Currently, critical electronic components—such as power modules—remain heavily reliant on global supply chains, particularly those tied to Chinese manufacturing. No commercially available charger on the market today meets the 100% U.S.-made requirement. While some assembly processes have already been localized, key components cannot be readily substituted in the short term. Industry insiders caution that such an aggressive compliance threshold could dampen corporate investment and ultimately undermine the policy’s original intent. Multiple organizations are urging a phased, incremental approach to raising domestic content requirements to ensure that infrastructure funding is effectively deployed.