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#68: U.S. companies commit $500M for Mexico charging infrastructure

$500M EV charging bet in Mexico, Trump’s tariffs 2.0 take shape, San Francisco formalizes curbside charging

Author

Steve Taylor
March 14, 2026

The Business and Policy of Charging Infrastructure

The 3 big stories

  • Invisible Urban Charging and ATX Smart Mobility commit $500M for EV charging

  • US opens unfair-trade probes to rebuild Trump’s tariff pressure

  • San Francisco creates permanent curbside charging program

Plus, featured jobs and news.

Enjoy,
Steve

Industry News

Two U.S.-based companies, Invisible Urban Charging (IUC) and ATX Smart Mobility, have announced a $500M commitment to deploy integrated charging infrastructure across central Mexico.

The initial rollout will focus on the Bajío region, one of Mexico's most active industrial corridors, starting with 38 dual-port DC fast chargers and 140 electric buses. Atlanta-based IUC will finance charger installations, provide hardware and servicing, and offer a software platform for site owners and drivers. Miami-based ATX will help optimize routes and energy use for public transport systems. CBRE has also been brought on to handle site selection for EV charging hubs.

The partnership will prioritize commercial fleet electrification, building the infrastructure necessary to accelerate private EV adoption in Mexico.

Steve's take

IUC and ATX are anchoring this charging network in Mexico around guaranteed demand from electric buses and commercial fleets, a smart strategy compared to the often speculative approach taken for consumer charging site selection.

CBRE's involvement in site selection is significant. We’ve discussed CBRE's growing involvement in charging infrastructure through its partnerships with EVPassport (issue #42) and 3V Infrastructure. It’s great seeing major commercial real estate firms like CBRE treating charging as critical infrastructure, rather than just an amenity.

Mexico's industrial density, heavy public transit usage, and proximity to U.S. supply chains make this partnership worth watching. However, the success of infrastructure investment in emerging markets is often contingent on permitting, grid interconnection, and local partnerships.

Power and Policy

The Trump administration is moving quickly to rebuild its tariff strategy following the recent decision by the Supreme Court of the United States that limited the administration’s ability to impose sweeping tariffs under emergency economic powers.

In response, U.S. trade officials have opened new investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, a longstanding trade enforcement tool that allows the U.S. government to investigate unfair trade practices and impose targeted tariffs. The investigations are being led by the Office of the United States Trade Representative and are expected to focus heavily on industrial subsidies, export-driven overcapacity, and forced labor concerns.

For the electric vehicle, battery, and renewable energy sectors, the implications could be significant.

Many of the industries currently under scrutiny—including autos, semiconductors, advanced batteries, solar components, and critical minerals—sit at the heart of the global clean energy transition. Trump administration officials are expressing concern that large-scale foreign subsidies, particularly from China, are creating structural overcapacity that could undercut domestic manufacturing in emerging clean energy supply chains.

Rob’s take

The Trump Administration’s legal setback in the US Supreme Court did not end the tariff strategy—it has redirected it. Expect trade policy in the coming months to focus less on emergency powers and more on formal trade investigations that can withstand court scrutiny.

For companies developing EV charging infrastructure, battery manufacturing, renewable energy projects, and grid equipment, the investigations signal a broader shift in U.S. trade policy toward protecting domestic clean energy supply chains.

Importantly, using Section 301 may also provide a more durable legal foundation for tariffs, making new trade actions less vulnerable to court challenges in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling.

The new trade investigations could have several direct implications:

1. Hardware costs may shift: Many chargers, power electronics, cables, and transformers rely on imported components. New tariffs could raise equipment costs in the near term.

2. Domestic manufacturing incentives may strengthen: Tariffs could accelerate efforts to onshore charger hardware production, aligning with Buy America requirements under federal programs like the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program.

3. Supply chain diversification will become more important: Developers may need to evaluate alternative suppliers in the U.S. or allied markets to reduce exposure to tariff risk.

4. Project timelines could be affected: Tariffs or trade enforcement actions could create temporary supply constraints for key equipment such as power modules, semiconductors, or charging cabinets.

Emerging Tech

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has introduced legislation to create the city's first permanent curbside EV charging program, building on a pilot launched in April 2025. The goal is to install 100 curbside chargers across the city by 2030.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority (SFMTA) will lead the program and begin accepting applications from charging providers this summer. Companies will apply to become approved vendors, then seek permits at specific curbside locations. SFMTA will determine charger placement based on demand and community feedback.

San Francisco has one of the highest EV adoption rates in the U.S., but many residents, especially renters and apartment dwellers, lack access to home charging. This is the problem the city is hoping to solve.

The city is also expanding charging infrastructure more broadly. SFMTA recently secured a $5M grant from the California Energy Commission to install 140 charging stations, and expects to grow the number of public chargers in its off-street garages from 55 to roughly 305 by 2027.

Steve's take

Curbside charging is one of the most important frontiers in charging infrastructure. We discussed the results of New York City's curbside pilot in November (issue #61), which showed strong demand and uptime but also persistent community concerns around parking. 

San Francisco's program will likely face similar challenges.

By pre-qualifying vendors and streamlining site-by-site permits through SFMTA, the city is attempting to avoid the one-off approval process that has slowed curbside deployments in other cities.

The bigger question is scale. One hundred chargers by 2030 is a modest target for a city with San Francisco's EV density. However, getting the regulatory framework right is significantly more important than the initial number of deployed chargers.

You can find more EV industry jobs here.

Hiring?

For 3 years, our job board has tracked jobs across the EV charging industry. Today, roughly 32% of all jobs posted are engineering positions, and 17% are Sales/BD roles. 

A growing number of companies are now filling these positions with overseas talent, which is why we’ve partnered with Somewhere.

Click here to save on your next hire.

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⚡️Steve and Rob

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