The BlueGreen Alliance, an environmental group, claims that BABA laws require that infrastructure projects funded with federal tax dollars use iron, steel, construction materials and manufactured products made in the United States. The U.S. Federal Highway Administration's existing domestic content policy for EV charging infrastructure was designed to onshore the supply chain and facilitate the installation of EV chargers, with clear timelines and phase-ins to allow for continuous installation of essential infrastructure projects.

“Implementing an unachievable domestic content threshold would effectively weaponize BABA to undermine the clean vehicle industry,” warns Jason Walsh, executive director of the BlueGreen Alliance. “Ambitious domestic content thresholds are essential, but to be beneficial, these requirements must be based on current and future market capabilities.

“An unachievable requirement risks pulling the rug out from under the American companies and workers currently making components for and assembling EV chargers,” says Walsh.

As most of the world acknowledges climate change and embraces vehicle electrification, he warns that short-sighted policymakers in Washington appear to be more interested in sending the U.S. back to the 1950s. 

“Trump and his administration are claiming to champion American manufacturing while undermining it with their actions,” Walsh points out.