EV Charging Industry Wants Balanced VW Clean-Car Investment

Companies that provide charging services for electric vehicles in the U.S. are urging the Dept. of Justice to make certain that Volkswagen AG’s $2 billion investment in clean-car technologies doesn’t pick favorites, Reuters reports.

VW agreed to spend $2 billion to promote clean-car technologies and infrastructure under a $15.3 billion settlement for rigging 475,000 diesels in the U.S. to cheat federal emissions standards. The program will be administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board.

EV charging services want an independent administrator to oversee the spending. Not surprisingly, they also advise that some of VW’s funds go to expanding the country’s network of charging stations.

In a letter to the Justice Dept., the charging providers say they’re worried VW or regulatory agencies could use the investment to promote their own clean-car favorites. “The agreement shouldn’t pick winners and losers,” the group asserts. It calls for fair treatment of all clean-car options, regardless of industry participants, business models or technologies.