Tesla’s CCS expansion, EV sound probe, automakers back California EV mandate: Today’s Car News

Nine million EVs and hybrids are potentially under scrutiny because of one petition questioning their safety. A group of automakers stands by California and its EV mandate in court. And New Jersey is the latest state to sign on to these tighter rules. This and more, here at EV kind of cars. 

On Wednesday, the U.S. DOT and the Biden administration laid out requirements for the hardware, and charging network interfaces, for companies looking to claim federal funds on the buildout of the $7.5 billion federal EV charging network. Among many key contributing pieces: Tesla will open up some of its network—for a price, of course.

With an executive order from New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on Wednesday, the Garden State officially takes a trajectory to adopt California’s 2035 end date for new internal-combustion vehicles, other than plug-in hybrids. New Jersey’s adoption of these standards, along with the defeat of a recent effort to scrap Virginia’s adoption of them, helps form a more cohesive East Coast bloc mandating more EVs.

Meanwhile, seven automakers earlier this week filed testimony that solidly backs California’s ability to mandate EVs as part of tougher emissions standards—in response to a challenge from 17 Republican-led states opposing this case that tangles with states’ rights. 

Production and shipments of the Ford F-150 Lightning remain stopped, while sales of the truck continue. Ford, meanwhile, is working on the issue behind a vehicle fire that happened in the inspection lot of its Dearborn plant. We’ll keep you updated on whatever it leads to. 

And is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration going to take seriously a petition that seeks pedestrian sounds on nine million older hybrids and EVs? It’s extremely unusual for the agency to open such a wide-ranging investigation on one petition, so this may mark several auto-safety firsts.

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