The U.S. Department of Transportation and Energy on Thursday announced funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure over five years under the Biden administration’s infrastructure law.
“A century ago, America ushered in the modern automotive era; now America must lead the electric vehicle revolution,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.
Part of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula (NEVI) Program created under that law, funding will be distributed to individual states (and the District of Columbia) to help add charging stations. , especially along Interstate highways, according to a DOT press release. That number starts with $615 million for fiscal year 2022.
2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5 at Electrify America DC fast charging station
Grant amounts vary by state. For example, Delaware will receive $2.6 million for fiscal year 2022, while Texas will receive about $60 million. Over the total five-year period, funding ranged from less than $17 million for the District of Columbia, to $407 million for Texas.
States will now have to submit plans on how to use the funding, although the federal government will offer some guidance. DOT notes that it expects charging station placement to follow pre-designated Alternative Fuel Corridors along major highways.
“Americans need to know that they can buy an electric vehicle and find convenient charging stations when they’re using Interstates and other major highways,” said Interstate Highways Deputy Superintendent Stephanie Pollack. in a statement. “The new EV formula program will give states the resources they need to provide their residents with reliable access to EV charging stations when they travel.”
Porsche electric vehicle charging station
In addition to prioritizing highway charging, federal guidance also says that states should fund DC fast-charging stations, and that those stations must have at least four ports capable of charging four EVs simultaneously. Stations must be located every 50 miles along Interstates and 1 mile from the freeway, according to guidelines.
Federal funds will cover 80% of electric vehicle charging costs, with private or public funds making up the balance, the guidelines said. Additional Instructions charging hardware included is also scheduled to be released in May.
DOT also recently released a toolkit for rural toll planning — something that the convenience industry and fuel retailers have want a part of.
7-Eleven DC fast charging station
The beginning of a national network is included in the infrastructure bill passed in November. The Biden administration’s goal is 500,000 chargers by 2030, but this initial funding allocation will only pay for the first fraction of those.
Market research results have shown that EV drivers are most satisfied with Tesla Supercharger Networkbut a recent study ranked America’s electrification user experience first, excluding charging performance or downtime.
