; purpose (a) Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Electric vehicles will play an important role in transitioning to a cleaner transportation system that protects Americans’ health and our planet. According to the United States Department of Energy, electric vehicles produce fewer emissions that contribute to climate change and smog than conventional vehicles. (2) Electric vehicles are becoming more popular among American consumers. United States sales of electric vehicles increased 27 percent between 2016 and 2017, and 81 percent between 2017 and 2018. (3) Access to electric vehicle charging stations is currently insufficient to meet consumer demand. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, two key areas of needed improvement in actual vehicle charging are speed (reducing battery charging times) and coverage (having adequate and accessible charging stations) . (4) Demand for publicly accessible electric vehicle chargers is projected to grow. At the end of 2017, there were an estimated 17,000 electric vehicle direct current fast charging stations with 55,000 electric vehicle direct current fast charging plugs available in the United States. Estimates by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory suggest that, by 2050, between 106,000 and 138,000 stations with 343,000 and 447,000 plugs could be needed to meet consumer demand. (5) Failure to expand access to publicly accessible electric vehicle chargers will prevent the wider adoption of electric vehicles and, therefore, hinder progress towards a more sustainable transportation system. According to a study produced by the Michigan Energy Office and Michigan State University, limited charging infrastructure for electric vehicles has been one of the main barriers in adopting these vehicles . (6) Expediting the wider adoption of electric vehicles will require considerable changes to consumer behavior, which will not be possible without the creation of necessary infrastructure. According to a study produced by the Transportation Research Board and