Electric Vehicles

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation is moving forward with the first phase of an effort to expand electric vehicle or EV infrastructure statewide.

 [Above photo by Oklahoma DOT]

The agency awarded more than $8 million in federal funds to Love’s Travel Stops, Francis Energy LLC, and Tesla Inc. to build 13 charging stations along Oklahoma interstates. Those three firms will also contribute a combined $7 million in private funding to construct those charging facilities. Through this public-private partnership, the private partners will design, build, operate, and maintain the charging stations and should have them open for business by 2025.

The agency said those stations will be within 50 miles of preexisting or planned sites in designated corridors, equipped with at least four charging ports capable of simultaneous 150 kilowatt (kW) or higher charging, accessible 24/7/365, and have broadband or cellular capability.

Once installed, these 13 stations will complete the EV charging corridors on I-35, I-40 and I-44 in Oklahoma, said Jared Schwennesen, multimodal division engineer for Oklahoma DOT.

“Range anxiety is a real concern for electric vehicle owners here in Oklahoma and nationwide,” he explained in a statement. “We believe this will be a major step toward cutting down on that anxiety and providing a reliable charging network across Oklahoma.”

The Oklahoma DOT noted that the federal money it has issued to build and support those EV charging stations comes from the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure or NEVI formula program, established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA.

Other state departments of transportation across the country are engaged in similar efforts.

In March, the Virginia Department of Transportation allocated $11.3 million in federal funding to assist in the statewide construction of EV charging stations that would also help close existing alternative fuel corridor gaps along I-64, I-77, I-81, I-85, I-95, and I-295.

The Illinois Department of Transportation also recently released the first official notice of funding opportunity for round one of grants sponsored by NEVI program funding; grants that will provide up to $50 million for the construction of 46 charging stations across the state.

Other state DOT EV charging network initiatives include:

• The California Department of Transportation – known as Caltrans – received some $63.7 million from the Federal Highway Administration to fix and install more than 1,000 chargers at 300 sites statewide.
• The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation plans to repair or replace dozens of existing EV charging sites using a $5 million federal award. The agency also oversaw the completion and opening of Pennsylvania’s first federally-funded EV charging station in late December 2023 and is now making $20 million in NEVI funding available to build more new EV charging facilities.
• The Ohio Department of Transportation also opened its very first NEVI-funded EV charging locale for operation in December 2023.
• The New York State Department of Transportation is getting $13 million from FHWA to enhance the reliability of EV charging ports across the state.
•  The Arizona Department of Transportation began seeking bids from private entities in January to build or upgrade EV charging stations along several interstate highways.
• The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet broke ground on the first NEVI-funded EV fast charging station in the southeastern United States in February. The agency is currently seeking proposals to install up to 16 additional stations along interstates and parkways statewide using NEVI funding – all part of Kentucky’s longer-term effort to add up to 40 new fast charging stations by 2025.

The Virginia Department of Transportation said it has allocated $11.3 million in federal funding to assist in the statewide construction of electric vehicle or EV charging stations.

[Above photo by Virginia DOT]

The agency added in a statement that this funding will also help close existing alternative fuel corridor gaps along I-64, I-77, I-81, I-85, I-95, and I-295.

That $11.3 million is the first allotment under Phase 1-A of its statewide effort over the next four years to distribute $100 million worth of National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure or NEVI formula program funding; money that will help facilitate the deployment of third-party owned and operated EV charging stations at 18 sites across 13 counties, adding a total of 66 fast charging ports.

Notably, Virginia DOT said 14 of those charging stations are located within a half-mile of federally designated disadvantaged communities. Proposed locations were screened against federal requirements, with awardees selected through a competitive scoring process that evaluated location, station cost, level of applicant match funding, applicant qualifications, nearby amenities such as restrooms, dining, and shopping, and other customer experience-focused factors.

Other state departments of transportation across the country are engaged in similar efforts.

For example, the Illinois Department of Transportation recently released the first official notice of funding opportunity for round one of grants sponsored by NEVI program funding; grants that will provide up to $50 million for the construction of 46 charging stations across the state.

The Illinois NEVI program aims to accelerate the adoption of EVs by providing reliable access to charging on Illinois interstates and is part of a series of comprehensive initiatives to achieve the state’s goal of becoming a leader in manufacturing and deploying electric vehicles.

“This funding opportunity puts us one step closer to achieving [our state’s] goal to have one million EVs on Illinois roads by 2030,” said Illinois DOT Secretary Omer Osman in a statement.

Meanwhile, other state DOTs are deploying federal funds to either expand EV charger networks along highways under their purview or upgrade existing systems. Those initiatives include:

• The California Department of Transportation – known as Caltrans – received some $63.7 million from the Federal Highway Administration to fix and install more than 1,000 chargers at 300 sites statewide.
• The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation plans to repair or replace dozens of existing EV charging sites using a $5 million federal award. The agency also oversaw the completion and opening of Pennsylvania’s first federally-funded EV charging station in late December 2023.
• The Ohio Department of Transportation also opened its very first NEVI-funded EV charging locale for operation in December 2023.
• The New York State Department of Transportation is getting $13 million from FHWA to enhance the reliability of EV charging ports across the state.
•  The Arizona Department of Transportation began seeking bids from private entities in January to build or upgrade electric vehicle or EV charging stations along several interstate highways.
• The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet broke ground on the first NEVI-funded EV fast charging station in the southeastern United States in February. The agency is currently seeking proposals to install up to 16 additional stations along interstates and parkways statewide using NEVI funding – all part of Kentucky’s longer-term effort to add up to 40 new fast charging stations by 2025.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation officially opened its first electric vehicle or EV charging station partially funded by the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure or NEVI program on February 28.

[Above photo by Hawaii DOT]

The EV charging station at the Kahului Park & Ride on Maui consists of four 150 kW DC fast chargers with Combined Charging System and CHArge de MOve ports. The station – located along Route 380, also known as the Kuihelani Highway – cost $3 million to design and build, with $2.4 million coming from the NEVI program and $600,000 from the state’s highway fund.

“Providing drivers with the opportunity to choose alternatives to vehicles with traditional internal combustion engines is a critical part of the strategy to get Hawaii to a clean energy portfolio by 2045,” said Ed Sniffen, director of the Hawaii DOT, in a statement.

“When we began planning our department’s conversion to EVs we calculated an estimated annual reduction in CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions of 8,700 pounds per vehicle, which is roughly the amount of energy used by an average American home in half a year,” he added.

[Editor’s note: In June 2023, Hawaii DOT deployed the state’s very first autonomous all-electric passenger shuttle bus. Developed in collaboration with the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, the AV Star All-Electric Autonomous Min-E Bus is an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant vehicle that can hold 14 passengers or 10 passengers and two passengers in wheelchairs. The vehicle is also equipped with the Perrone Robotics “TONY” system – short for “To Navigate to You” – autonomous system that Perrone said meets all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.]

To qualify for NEVI funding, EV charging stations must meet criteria such as having EV charging publicly available 24/7 and being no more than one mile away from the nearest U.S. Department of Transportation-designated Alternative Fuel Corridor.

The Kahului Park & Ride along Kuihelani Highway was selected as the state’s first NEVI-funded EV charging site because it is accessible 24/7 and its location is adjacent to the Maui Alternative Fuel Corridors, the Hawaii DOT noted.

The agency added that EV charging will be free to the public at this location through March 10, as time-of-use rates are being finalized. Payment and charger availability can be checked through the EV Connect App at evconnect.com/ at that time, with payment via credit card also accepted at this EV charging locale, Hawaii DOT added.

Governor Andy Beshear (D) and Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt, along with several state and local officials, recently gathered at the Circle K convenience store and filling station in Richmond, KY, to break ground on the first electric vehicle (EV) fast charging station in the southeastern United States built with funds from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program.

[Above photo by KYTC]

Developers of privately-owned fast charging stations, mandated to remain open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week, are obligated to finance a minimum of 20 percent of the construction and operational costs for the initial five years, while NEVI funding will cover the remaining expenses. At the event, the governor noted that his administration is also seeking proposals to install up to 16 additional stations along interstates and parkways statewide using NEVI funding – all part of Kentucky’s longer-term effort to add up to 40 new fast charging stations by 2025.

“To make sure Kentucky keeps leading the way, we’re building out our EV infrastructure so our families can charge up as they travel our great state,” Gov. Beshear said in a statement – noting that Kentucky is set to receive nearly $70 million from the NEVI program to accomplish that goal.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is responsible for administering those NEVI funds and for building out the state’s EV recharging network.

“The number of registered EVs in Kentucky continues to grow, and we want to ensure current and future owners have a reliable network of charging stations to support long-distance EV travel,” said KYTC Secretary Jim Gray.

The Circle K Richmond location is one of two awarded sites Circle K will own and operate – becoming one of the fast-charging EV stations to be built across Kentucky.

That Circle K Richmond charging site will initially offer four 180 kilowatt fast chargers, each ready to recharge a typical EV in under 20 minutes. The units, initially equipped with standard Combined Charging System 1 connectors, will undergo upgrades to North American Charging Standard connectors later this year. This transition will occur after the finalization of national standards and UL certification to ensure support for all current and future EV makes and models.

“We’re very pleased to partner with the state in bringing EV fast charging to the commonwealth with the support of the NEVI program,” said Louise Warner, Circle K senior vice president of global fuels. “Partnerships like these are helping to accelerate the development of charging infrastructure to keep pace with growing demand and EV adoption.”

The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation or JOET – jointly operated by the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Energy – has issued $46.5 million in grants to 30 projects across 16 states and Washington, D.C, to help develop electric vehicle or EV infrastructure in rural, urban, and tribal communities as well as expand what it calls the “clean energy” workforce.

[Above image via the JOET]

The JOET added that this funding will also address barriers to charging in multifamily housing facilities, explore new approaches to curbside charging in urban areas, promote seamless connections across modes through e-mobility hubs, and test new incentive structures to provide affordable public charging access.

“[We are] proud to fund these game-changing clean transportation projects in communities across the country,” said Gabe Klein, the JOET’s executive director, in a statement.

“These investments ensure we can meet unique local needs, create good-paying jobs, innovate new business models, test products thoroughly, and work towards our goal of making it easy for everyone to ride and drive electric,” he added.

The JOET has also helped developed a variety of resources to help support the expansion of EV infrastructure across the country.

For example, in conjunction with the USDOT, the JOET helped issue a technical resource in July 2023 designed to aid larger communities take full advantage of federal funding for electric vehicle charging stations and other forms of electric transportation.

That guide – called “Charging Forward: A Toolkit for Planning and Funding Urban Electric Mobility Infrastructure” – provides a comprehensive resource for communities, metropolitan planning organizations, transportation providers, businesses, and property owners and developers by including information on how to scope, plan, and identify ways to best leverage billions of dollars in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA.

It follows on the heels of the Rural EV toolkit originally issued by the USDOT in 2022 and later updated in 2023. 

The toolkit builds on the efforts of the Joint Office to provide states and communities across America with information and assistance to accelerate an electrified transportation system that is convenient, affordable, reliable, and equitable. It also includes guidance to help urban areas implement other forms of electric transportation, such as public transit, electric bikes and scooters, and ride-share services, USDOT said.  

Fourteen state departments of transportation are plugging into more than $141 million in Federal Highway Administration grants to repair or replace thousands of electric vehicle or EV charging ports via the Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator program.

[Above photo by Caltrans]

The California Department of Transportation – known as Caltrans – leads the list in the amount of money received and will get $63.7 million to put 1,302 EV ports back in service; solidifying California’s role in leading the nation in EV infrastructure development.

California has 43,503 public EV charging ports at 15,571 stations, representing more than 25 percent of all EV infrastructure in the country, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center.

The money “will allow California to continue to lead the nation in zero-emission-vehicle adoption, increasing reliability and cutting planet-warming pollution,” explained Toks Omishakin, secretary of the California State Transportation Agency, in a news release.

Across the country, about 8,700 public charging ports at 4,500 stations are unavailable because of maintenance issues. These grants, under the umbrella of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure or NEVI formula program, will repair or replace almost half of those ports.

As of January 30, there were 162,924 operational public EV charging ports in the country, representing a 26 percent increase from January 2023. The Biden administration’s goal with the NEVI program is to get 500,000 EV chargers online by the end of the decade.

In California, the repaired and replaced chargers will be deployed at existing charging stations in urban and rural areas and along Alternative Fuel Corridors, noted Caltrans Information Officer Nicole Mowers.

“Policies and investments across the state have made California the nation’s leader in electric vehicle deployments, sales percentages, and public charging infrastructure,” she explained. “Actions at the federal level, including historic funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and actions in other states are supporting rapid growth in EVs across the country.”

The Indiana Department of Transportation received $778,600 to repair or replace 55 charging ports. INDOT is participating in the program and has partnered with other government and non-profit groups, including Drive Clean Indiana.

“It was a collaborative partnership with INDOT to put in the grant application,” said Ryan Lisek, program director for Drive Clean Indiana. “I think it’s great that, in the heartland of America, we were able to get these funds.”

Although the program was for replacing – not adding – EV charging ports, Indiana will be able to add two ports each at about 20 stations, he noted. The grant guidelines allow for new ports to be added at existing stations if the new ports and parking areas meet accessibility guidelines under the Americans with Disability Act.

Increasing capacity is important for a state like Indiana, which doesn’t have the EV ownership numbers or infrastructure of states like California, Lisek said. Indiana has 6.6 million registered vehicles, but only about 24,000 EVs.

“I think it comes down to, if you want people to come to your home state and you want good paying jobs and have good economic development to attract folks, you need to have this EV infrastructure,” he emphasized. “You want to be able to attract new technology.”

Other state DOTs that received grants for EV charger fixes via this round of grant funding include:

• New York State Department of Transportation: $13 million for 335 ports
• Washington State? Department of Transportation: $10.1 million for 560 ports
• Oregon Department of Transportation: $10 million for 421 ports
• Colorado Department of Transportation: $8.3 million for 363 ports
• Illinois Department of Transportation: $7.1 million for 110 ports
• Hawaii Department of Transportation: $6.9 million for 74 ports
• New Jersey Department of Transportation: $6 million for 247 ports
• Pennsylvania Department of Transportation: $5 million for 293 ports
• Maryland Department of Transportation: $4.4 million for 44 ports
• Utah Department of Transportation: $3.4 million for 77 ports
• Michigan Department of Transportation: $1.8 million for 170 ports
• New Hampshire Department of Transportation: $683,000 for 4 ports

The FHWA’s grant program also awarded $5.3 million to local and regional agencies to repair or replace another 223 ports.

The Federal Highway Administration recently awarded nearly $150 million to 24 grant recipients in 20 states to make existing electric vehicle or EV charging infrastructure more reliable.

[Above photo by the FHWA]

The agency said that grant funding will go towards repairing or replacing nearly 4,500 existing EV charging ports nationwide and, in some cases, bringing them up to code. The FHWA said those targeted investments complement the billions in federal and private sector funding already issued to help reach President Biden’s ’s goal of bringing at least 500,000 public EV chargers online by the end of the decade.

The funding for this $150 million grant award comes from the new “EV Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator” program within the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure or NEVI formula program created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The FHWA initially made $100 million available via a notice of funding opportunity or NOFO in September 2023 to help states and localities repair and replace existing but non-operational EV charging systems.

That NOFO stipulated a 10 percent set-aside for states or localities that require additional assistance to strategically deploy EV charging infrastructure. As a result, the agency said this first round of EV charger repair/replacement funding focuses on improving the reliability and accessibility of the current EV charging network.

“Charging your electric vehicle should be as easy and convenient as filling up a gas tank – and these grants will help do that by making our EV charging network more reliable,” said FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt in a statement. “We’re building a bigger and better EV charging network to keep up with driver demand, and we’re also ensuring the existing network works when you need a charge.”

FHWA is coordinating with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation or JOET – an office overseen by both the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Energy – as it supports the build-out of an EV recharging network across the United States.

“Making it easy for everyone to ride and drive electric means making sure that drivers can always count on EV charging stations to work when they’re needed,” added Gabe Klein, JOET executive director. “Repairing and replacing existing stations gives drivers the confidence they need to choose electric, complementing the buildout of much-needed, new infrastructure while creating good jobs across the country.”

The North Carolina Department of Transportation recently published an online map marking the locations for the first batch of electric vehicle or EV charging stations funded through the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure or NEVI formula program.

[Above photo by NCDOT]

The agency said its online map identifies the 11 locations along the alternative fuel corridor that will comprise Phase 1 of the project. NCDOT identified the 11 locations because they will fill the gaps where fewer EV charging stations currently exist and serve a more geographically diverse group of people in both rural and urban areas. 

Each location on the GIS map represents a cluster of one or more exits along the alternative fuel corridor, NCDOT said – and applicants must locate proposed charging stations within the designated clusters, with one charging station per cluster. 

The agency noted that it received $109 million in NEVI funds to develop the network along interstates, major highways and in communities. The funds are to be used to reimburse businesses for project costs, including procurement, installation and operation of EV charging stations.

NCDOT said Phase 1 of its EV charging network buildout will involve installation of DC Fast Chargers along interstates and major highways, along the alternative fuel corridors designated by the Federal Highway Administration. Those DC Fast Chargers will be able to charge an electric vehicle in about 20 minutes.

Phase 2 will then involve the build out of community-based DC fast chargers and Level 2 chargers that take between four and eight hours to fully charge an EV.

The agency added that expects to fully build out the state’s EV charging infrastructure over the next seven years.

“The build out of the EV charging stations will help our state advance clean transportation and be a great economic opportunity for businesses of all sizes,” said Paula Hemmer, NCDOT’s statewide initiative senior engineer, in a statement. “The map gives businesses an opportunity to determine where it would be economically feasible to build and operate EV charging stations,” she noted. “There are a lot of things to consider like whether a site is easily accessible to all travelers and a site’s proximity to amenities like restaurants and hotels.” 

In February, NCDOT said it expects to issue a request for proposals for people interested in applying for funds for Phase 1 of the EV charger installation.

The Oregon Department of Transportation is spending $1.75 million to help companies, schools, apartment building owners, small towns, and other groups build 370 new public Level 2 electric vehicle or EV charging ports in rural and disadvantaged areas.

[Above photo by the Oregon DOT]

The Community Charging Rebates Program is one way Oregon DOT is trying to beef up the state’s EV charging infrastructure to simultaneously encourage and meet the demand for zero-emission vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A 2022 Oregon DOT study noted that the state will need about 17,000 Level 2 charging ports by 2025 to meet a goal of 250,000 registered EVs in the state.

Under the program, which is 100 percent state funded, organizations can get rebates of up to 75 percent of the cost of buying and installing EV charging stations at multifamily homes and public parking areas. ODOT reserved 70 percent of the first funding round to applicants who would build EV charging stations in rural or disadvantaged communities.

“Some sections of the state have EV charging gaps,” noted Oregon DOT spokesman Matt Noble. “These are populations we serve that haven’t seen the level of EV infrastructure investment as other areas.”

Of the 94 projects receiving awards via this program, 79 are in rural or disadvantaged communities, according to an agency statement. Noble added the response to the program was “overwhelmingly positive,” so Oregon DOT plans to do a second round of funding in March 2024.

The money for the Community Charging Rebates program is from a $100 million federal-state fund the Oregon Transportation Commission created in 2022 to build out the EV charging infrastructure. Most of that money is going toward Alternative Fuel Corridors; routes approved by the Federal Highway Administration where states may use federal funding to build alternative fuel infrastructure. In Oregon, those routes include seven interstate highways.

The remaining $36 million – all state cash – is being used to build charging stations in places that are not along those corridors. By growing the charging infrastructure in those areas, the Oregon DOT is hoping to overcome one of the biggest hurdles to EV ownership: range anxiety.

Oregon has more than doubled the number of registered EVs in the state since 2020, from less than 23,000 to about 51,000, according to statistics from the Oregon Department of Energy. There are about 2,800 Level 2 and fast-charging ports across the state, a ratio of one port for every 18 vehicles.

That’s fewer than the national average of about 15 vehicles per port, according to data from the U.S. Department of Energy.

For a broader look at EV infrastructure advancement, the Alternative Fuels Data Center – operated by the DOE – maintains state-by-state information on the number and types of EV stations and ports, as well as a breakdown of all alternative fuel stations, such as biodiesel and propane.

Other state departments of transportation are also engaging in efforts to build out EV support infrastructure.

For example, the Utah Department of Transportation recently announced plans to double the state’s current fast charging capacity for electric vehicles by the end of 2024 with the addition of 15 new sites funded through the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure or NEVI Formula Program launched in 2022.

Since 2015, the agency said the number of EVs in Utah has grown by an average of 48 percent year over year – and the rate of growth is climbing. To meet this increasing need, the Utah DOT – together with the Utah Office of Energy Development – identified 15 strategic sites for EV fast chargers on major state roads. In response, private entities submitted 75 applications to match their private fund with NEVI funding.

Meanwhile, the Maryland Department of Transportation introduced a new tool in June to help local governments and agencies dip into $2.5 billion in federal grants to build an electric vehicle or EV charging network.

The agency’s EV Charger Siting Tool is a map-based website that helps the user select those communities and charging sites in Maryland that have the best chance of securing grants under Federal Highway Administration’s Charging and Fueling Infrastructure or CFI discretionary grant program, funded by the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA enacted in November 2021.

The tool consolidates geographic data on existing chargers, registered EV users, disadvantaged communities, alternative fuel corridors, and “marginalized and underserved communities targeted for investment to address climate change and clean energy needs,” the Maryland DOT noted.