May 12, 2026
Mr. Self introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
To amend title 49, United States Code, to include certain electric vehicles or related equipment manufactured by, and services provided by, a foreign entity of concern to the noncomplying motor vehicles list, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Cybersecurity and Hardware Assurance for Resilient Grid Electrification Act
or the CHARGE Act
.
Sec. 2. Findings
Congress finds the following:
(1)
China accounts for two thirds of the global electric vehicle market.
(2)
Electric vehicles from China are not currently within the United States automotive market, but that is expected to increase to 8 percent of the market by 2030.
(3)
By 2030, 20 percent of new vehicle sales are expected to need a connection to the electrical grid.
(4)
Vehicle manufacturers routinely update and maintain vehicle software remotely without oversight.
(5)
According to the Department of Energy, local power outages cost the United States $121,000,000,000 annually and result in a 1.3 percent reduction in GDP.
(6)
On April 28, 2025, the electrical grid that services large portions of Spain and Portugal failed to maintain frequency and voltage resulting in a 16-hour nationwide blackout, the largest power failure in Europe in over 20 years.
(7)
Failure of any of the electrical grids of the United States for 3 days could reduce the GDP of the United States by up to 2.6 percent.
(8)
The Vehicle to Grid (VTG) Initiative connects electrical vehicle batteries to the grid as a renewable source of power during peak loads and then replaces that power during times of low demand.
(9)
A vehicle connected to the electrical grid, through the VTG program, retains unique control of the availability of the battery of such vehicle with respect to energy provision supply.
(10)
Fast switching of battery availability while connected to the electrical grid may hamper the ability of the electrical grid to maintain the standard 60 Hz frequency and 120V/240V household service voltage resulting in deviations which may damage devices that are plugged in, both residential and commercial.
(11)
A coordinated attack by an array of participating vehicles from adversarial manufacturers would make the grid vulnerable to possible manipulation and disruptions.
(12)
A failure of the electric grid of the United States would damage electric vehicles connected to the electric grid and hamper safety efforts to protect our national security, patrol the streets of cities in the United States, and maintain law and order, while also putting life-saving health services at risk.
Sec. 3. Inclusion of certain vehicles and equipment manufactured by China on the noncomplying motor vehicles list
(a) Definitions
Section 30102(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended—
(1)
by redesignating paragraphs (5) through (13) as paragraphs (7) through (15), respectively;
(2)
by inserting after paragraph (4) the following new paragraphs:
(5)
electric vehiclehas the meaning given the term in section 32904(a)(2).(6)
foreign entity of concernhas the meaning given the term in section 9901 of title XCIX of division H of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116–283). ; and
(3)
by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
(16)
vehicle charge power control componentmeans an onboard electrical and electronic system that regulates, converts, and manages the flow of energy between the energy port of a vehicle and the traction battery of a vehicle, including an onboard charger, a power-electronic converter, a battery-management control, and an associated high-voltage protection device.
(b) Prohibitions on manufacturing, selling, and importing noncomplying motor vehicles and equipment
Section 30112(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
(4)
Except as provided in this section, section 30114, subsections (i) and (j) of section 30120, and subchapter III of this chapter, a person may not sell, offer for sale, introduce or deliver for introduction in interstate commerce, or import into the United States any motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment if the vehicle or equipment—
(A)
is an electric vehicle or equipment of an electric vehicle manufactured in whole or in part by a foreign entity of concern; or
(B)
uses a vehicle charge power control component manufactured in whole or in part by a foreign entity of concern.