he Biden administration has largely avoided taking into account the concerns of the trucking industry in rolling out its first set of standards and requirements for a nationwide electric vehicle charging network.

The intentional hands-off approach, according to a final rule to be published by the Federal Highway Administration on Tuesday, is meant to avoid getting in the way of evolving technology for powering medium- and heavy-duty (MD/HD) electric trucks.

“The FHWA … cannot regulate minimum standards that have not yet been identified or innovated in the industry,” the agency stated. “FHWA understands that the MD/HD charging industry is very nascent and rapidly evolving. As such, FHWA has not modified the language in this final rule to specifically accommodate MD/HD needs so as not to preempt the pace of technological innovation.”