NATSO does not support the idea of commercial EV charging stations

The National Association of Truck Stop Owners (NATSO) noticed that Congress considered the idea of commercial operations at Interstate rest areas. Commercial services include electric vehicles (EV) charging stations.

NATSO and other organizations wrote the letter to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. They feared that offering food as well as charging electric vehicles at rest areas would allow states to enter into a monopoly in which they unfairly compete with the private businesses already operating there. It could effectively destroy the incentive for private sector investment.

“The ban on commercial services at Interstate rest areas exists in order to encourage private commercial activities in off-highway communities. Carving out an exception for EV charging infrastructure would not only discourage existing refueling stations throughout the country from investing in charging infrastructure, but it will signal to prospective EV drivers that they will not be able to access the same amenities and fueling experience to which they are accustomed,” said NATSO vice-president of government affairs David Fialkov.