Washington, D.C.—In response to the electric vehicle (EV), autonomous vehicle, and vehicle charging provisions contained within the markup of the surface transportation reauthorization bill, SAFE President and CEO Robbie Diamond made the following statement:
“The shift from a gasoline past to a connected, electric, and autonomous future holds tremendous promise for U.S. economic and national security, but we can only be as competitive as our infrastructure enables. The EV provisions in this bill will facilitate and expedite the deployment of EVs, AVs, including fleets, and will help upgrade our infrastructure to match our EV leadership ambitions and help stimulate crucial investment across the entire U.S. EV supply chain, from minerals to markets. This is a strong step toward overtaking China’s dominant position across the global EV supply chain, and helping the United States become a leader in an industry of great economic and strategic importance.”
Among many other provisions, the $303.5 billion legislation includes $2.5 billion dedicated to building EV and alternative charging station corridors on highways, and EV charging capacity in other publicly accessible locations.
“SAFE commends Senators Carper, Capito, Cardin and Cramer for their hard work on this bipartisan bill, and stands ready to help ensure passage of these critical provisions that will prepare our infrastructure for tomorrow’s economy,” Diamond added.
In its September 2020 report, The Commanding Heights of Global Transportation, SAFE detailed the vast control China exerts over every step of the connected, electric supply chain—from its consolidation of minerals extraction and processing, to the production of batteries and the vehicles themselves. In a March 2021 follow-up paper, independent analysis of SAFE’s policy recommendations to increase American competitiveness in this industry found that SAFE’s proposals could create 647,000 U.S. jobs.
Contact: Alex Adams | 202.461.2374 | aadams@secureenergy.org
About SAFE
SAFE enhances the nation’s energy security and supports our economic resurgence and resiliency, by advancing transformative transportation and mobility technologies and ensuring that the United States secures key aspects of the technology supply chain to achieve and maintain our strategic advantage.
In partnership with the Electrification Coalition, SAFE’s sister organization, we work with consumers, businesses, and policymakers, to launch award-winning “real-world” programs and enable the needed polices to accelerate transportation electrification around the country to reduce our Nation’s dependence on oil.
