Electric Vehicles

The Utah Department of Transportation 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.

[Above image by Utah DOT]

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.

[Editor’s note: The Federal Highway Administration issued final approvals for EV infrastructure deployment plans submitted by all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in September 2022; plans required in order to access NEVI funding. All of those plans were updated in 2023 to include details regarding ongoing transportation electrification projects.]

The agency – which awarded NEVI program grants for those 15 sites in mid-November – said that fast charging site expansion should allow EV owners to travel anywhere along Utah’s interstates, US-6, and US-191.

“The future is coming, and these 15 new fast charging sites will ensure Utah will be ready for it,” explained Utah DOT Executive Director Carlos Braceras in a statement. “Building out the statewide charging network really opens the door to let Utahns choose to travel where they want, when they want, in the way they want.”

He noted that creating a charging network of this magnitude requires a team effort between the federal government, the state of Utah and private businesses. Utah is receiving about $36 million in federal funding, and – when combined with a minimum 20 percent private match – the program is expected to invest a total of $43 million in the state’s EV charging network.

In this first phase of the program, about $17.5 million will be invested in providing the traveling public with access to fast EV charging every 50 miles along Utah’s interstate highways. No state taxpayer dollars are being used in this phase, as Utah DOT is entering into public-private partnerships to implement the project.

State departments of transportation across the country are engaged in a variety of efforts to support broader deployment of EVs.

For example, the Vermont Agency of Transportation is encouraging businesses, municipalities, and nonprofits to purchase or lease electric fleet vehicles by offering up to $5,000 in rebates for each plug-in EV that replaces an internal combustion engine-powered vehicle.

Concurrently, the North Carolina Department of Transportation is helping support the launch of the state’s first electric aircraft charging hub in early 2024 at Raleigh Executive Jetport in Sanford; a hub designed to be “multimodal” so it can charge not only electric aircraft but electric cars and trucks as well.

Meanwhile, Oregon residents living in multifamily homes as well as motorists near public parking areas may soon have better access to electric vehicle or EV charging stations, thanks to the new Community Charging Rebates Program being rolled out by the Oregon Department of Transportation.

The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) is encouraging businesses, municipalities, and nonprofits to purchase or lease electric fleet vehicles by offering up to $5,000 in rebates for each plug-in EV that replaces an internal combustion engine-powered vehicle.

[Above photo by VTrans]

The “Electrify Your Fleet” program is making $500,000 available to fleet owners to “help create a robust market in our state of used electric vehicles so that more EVs will be available more affordably,” explained VTrans Secretary Joe Flynn in a news release.

The state-funded program will make it easier for businesses, municipalities, and nonprofits to buy or lease EVs, “realizing long- term cost-savings, reduce climate impacts, keep more money in the local economy, and better serve customers, clients, and citizens,” he added.

The agency said 40 percent of that funding is earmarked for Vermont applicants who are from or who serve historically underserved communities. While most applicants will be capped at $2,500 per EV, nonprofits that provide Vermonters with transportation alternatives to personal vehicle ownership can get up to a $5,000 rebate per EV.

The amount of the rebate cannot exceed 25 percent of the vehicle purchased or leased. By combining the “Electrify Your Fleet” program benefits with local utility rebates and federal tax cuts for clean commercial vehicles, applicants can save as much as $10,000 per EV, according to VTrans.

The department added that it kicked off the program as one way to “electrify the transportation sector” and “accelerate the retirement of internal combustion engine vehicles.” By helping to reduce fossil-fueled transportation, which is the state’s largest contributor of carbon emissions, Vermont municipalities and business entities can “enjoy the benefits of cleaner transportation options,” VTrans pointed out.

Rebate recipients must “demonstrate that the incentives will reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of their fleet operations,” the agency said, with fleet owners required to keep the EVs for at least two years and agree to sell them through Vermont’s income-eligible incentive program for used vehicles.

The rebates also can be applied to electric bikes, electric motorcycles, and electric snowmobiles, VTrans stressed.

The program is scheduled to conclude in June 2024, but the agency said it may extend the program if more funding becomes available.

Many state departments of transportation across the country are engaged in similar efforts to help people, communities, and businesses accelerate the transition to EVs:

• The Oregon Department of Transportation has a community charging rebates program to defray the costs of Level 2 and Level 1 charging stations.
• The Maryland Department of Transportation has developed a tool to help local governments and agencies access $2.5 billion in federal grants to build an EV charging network.
• The North Carolina Department of Transportation is supporting a new multi-modal electric charging hub at a Raleigh airport.

The U.S. Department of Transportation, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, released a new free technical resource to help larger communities take full advantage of federal funding for electric vehicle charging stations and other forms of electric transportation.

[Above photo by the USDOT]

The new guide – called “Charging Forward: A Toolkit for Planning and Funding Urban Electric Mobility Infrastructure” – provides a comprehensive resource for communities, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), 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.  

In a statement, the USDOT said building an affordable and accessible public charging network will help make electric forms of transportation more convenient for the 71 percent of Americans who live in communities with a population over 50,000. While many EV owners can charge their vehicles at home or work, people who live in higher density areas, especially those living in apartments and condos, may not have easy access to a garage or the space for a private charger, which means they are more reliant on public charging options.  

In 2022, USDOT approved plans from all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico to build a nationwide network of EV chargers, supported by $5 billion from the IIJA’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure or NEVI program.

This spring, USDOT began the application process for the first $700 million of the total $2.5 billion in funding to build EV charging infrastructure in communities and neighborhoods across the country through the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure or CFI grant program.

The Utah Electrification of Transportation Infrastructure Steering Committee recently met for the first time; a group created by the state legislature to help guide Utah’s installation of infrastructure that is both sustainable and economical to spur the state’s transition to electric transport.

[Above photo by the Utah DOT]

“We’re at a tipping point for electrification of transportation,” explained Carlos Braceras, executive director of the Utah Department of Transportation and the committee’s chairman. “Our mission here is to help Utah residents live healthier lives by improving air quality while strengthening the economy.”

The state legislature’s bill that created the steering committee also provided $2.1 million to Utah State University’s Center for Advancing Sustainability through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification or “ASPIRE” to “lead the charge” in developing a community, state, and industry transportation action plan to improve air quality while enhancing the economy.

The Utah DOT noted in a statement that the ASPIRE Engineering Research Center – created in 2020 through a $25 million National Science Foundation grant, which is renewable to $50 million over 10 years – is forming an industry advisory board with representation across the industries, communities, and stakeholders affected by the shift to an electrified transportation system.

“We need tomorrow’s technologies to do this thing right,” said Dr. Regan Zane, director of ASPIRE, who also serves on the steering committee. “Now is the time to inject innovation into developing the future vision of our communities and transportation systems. This will inform critical decisions today on infrastructure investments to accelerate our path to clean air and a reduced cost to move people and goods.”

“The question we face now is how we transition to that electrified future,” added Utah DOT’s Braceras. “It’s a complicated process that requires careful planning and a coordinated approach across agencies, industries and communities to build a sustainable solution.”

State departments of transportation across the country are involved in a number of different efforts to help spur transportation system electrification.

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

The 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.

From a broader perspective, the North Carolina Department of Transportation recently released the finalized version of its North Carolina Clean Transportation Plan, outlining a roadmap to continue growing the state’s clean energy economy while reducing greenhouse gas or GHG emissions and investing in cleaner and more accessible transportation options for state residents.

The NCDOT said it worked with more than 220 stakeholders for more than a year to develop this draft plan – mandated by Governor Roy Cooper (D) via Executive Order 246 issued January 2022 – which explores strategies to advance clean transportation investments and workforce development statewide.

In a more targeted fashion, the Oregon Department of Transportation recently introduced a rebate plan for state residents living in multifamily homes as well as motorists near public parking areas to spur access to EV charging stations.

The Oregon DOT said the rebate offered by its new Community Charging Rebates Program will range from $4,250 to $5,500 per charging port or up to 75 percent of eligible project costs, whichever is less, to help lower the cost of buying, installing, and maintaining Level 2 and Level 1 EV charging stations.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials held a knowledge session at its 2022 Annual Meeting that featured panelists from the Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Florida DOTs discussing their respective plans for National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure or NEVI program funds – one part of their concerted efforts to help support transport electrification.

In September 2022, the Federal Highway Administration issued final approvals for the EV infrastructure deployment plans submitted by all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Those plan approvals allow all of those 52 transportation departments to unlock more than $900 million in fiscal year 2022 and 2023 NEVI funding.

The Maryland Department of Transportation is rolling out a new tool to help local governments and agencies dip into $2.5 billion in federal grants to build an electric vehicle or EV charging network.

[Above photo by the Maryland DOT]

The 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.

“Helping our partners across the state secure federal funding for EV projects is part of our leadership role and this tool is just one facet of our strategy to share knowledge, expertise and experience to make the most of those opportunities,” added Maryland DOT Secretary Paul Wiedefeld in a statement.

[Editor’s note: A recent American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials video of a knowledge session held at its 2022 Annual Meeting featured panelists from the Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Florida DOTs discussing their respective plans for National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure or NEVI program funds.]

By typing any Maryland address into the tool and selecting from a criteria menu, planners can see which factors in those communities and sites can best help their application. The agency pointed out that June 13 is the deadline for CFI grant applications.

The first round of funding will make $700 million available from fiscal years 2022 and 2023, with a total of $2.5 billion in funding available over the next five years, according to FHWA. The Maryland DOT also has set up a federal grants page on its website to give its partners across the state a good overview of other federal grant opportunities.

Maryland DOT’s Wiedefeld added that his state expects to see “tremendous growth and investment as more and more EVs come into the marketplace.”

Brian Booher, a senior planning specialist at the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, said the Maryland DOT is “always ready to help partners at the local level with grant applications. And the sharing of information – like the data in [the] new Electric Vehicle Charger Siting Tool – is invaluable as we work to benefit our communities and the entire state.”

Maryland has a goal of having 300,000 registered electric vehicles in the state by 2025 and, as of April 2023, there were 70,000 registered EVs in Maryland.

Other state departments of transportation are also working on ways to boost the development of EV charging networks in their respective areas.

For example, from a broad perspective, the North Carolina Department of Transportation recently released the finalized version of its North Carolina Clean Transportation Plan, outlining a roadmap to continue growing the state’s clean energy economy while reducing greenhouse gas or GHG emissions and investing in cleaner and more accessible transportation options for state residents.

The NCDOT said it worked with more than 220 stakeholders for more than a year to develop this draft plan – mandated by Governor Roy Cooper (D) via Executive Order 246 issued January 2022 – which explores strategies to advance clean transportation investments and workforce development statewide.

In a more targeted fashion, the Oregon Department of Transportation recently introduced a rebate plan for state residents living in multifamily homes as well as motorists near public parking areas to spur access to EV charging stations.

The Oregon DOT said the rebate offered by its new Community Charging Rebates Program will range from $4,250 to $5,500 per charging port or up to 75 percent of eligible project costs, whichever is less, to help lower the cost of buying, installing, and maintaining Level 2 and Level 1 EV charging stations.

State residents living in multifamily homes as well as motorists near public parking areas may soon have better access to electric vehicle or EV charging stations, thanks to the new Community Charging Rebates Program being rolled out by the Oregon Department of Transportation.

[Above photo by the Oregon DOT]

The agency said this rebate – which will range from $4,250 to $5,500 per charging port or up to 75 percent of eligible project costs, whichever is less – should help lower the cost of buying, installing, and maintaining Level 2 and Level 1 EV charging stations at multifamily homes and publicly accessible parking areas across Oregon.

[Editor’s note: A recent American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials video of a knowledge session held at its 2022 Annual Meeting featured panelists from the Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Florida DOTs discussing their respective plans for National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure or NEVI program funds.]

The Oregon DOT said this new rebate program, which launches in mid-to-late June 2023, will feature four rounds of funding through at least 2024. The first round runs from June through August and will make $1.75 million available for eligible EV charging projects, with 70 percent of first-round funding reserved for projects in rural areas and disadvantaged communities, where gaps in EV charging infrastructure are largest, the agency said.

People living in rural areas face longer travel distances and fewer EV charging options in Oregon, the agency noted, with 32 percent of state residents living in rural areas while only 12% of EVs are registered in rural areas.

“For many current and prospective EV drivers, reliable and accessible charging where they live, work and play is an important factor,” explained said Suzanne Carlson, director of the Oregon DOT climate office, in a statement. “Our new rebate program will help close gaps in charging infrastructure and increase EV adoption rates.”

She noted that lack of at-home EV charging options is a persistent barrier for people living in multifamily homes. This barrier is reflected in Oregon EV registration data: nearly 80 percent of EVs are registered in areas where most residences are single-family homes as compared to multifamily homes.

Oregon DOT said its rebate program should help lower that barrier. It will apply to Level 2 and Level 1 charger projects at apartment, condominium, co-op, and townhouse locations that have at least five residences, and at least five parking spaces. Meanwhile, so-called “charging-on-the-go” is viewed as both convenient for EV drivers and a potential boon for local businesses.

That part of the agency’s rebate program applies to Level 2 projects in publicly accessible parking areas like restaurants, grocery stores, gyms, coffee shops, libraries, parks, movie theaters, and more. Drivers can park and charge their EV while they go about their day, with Level 2 chargers can adding 25 miles of range per hour on some vehicles, Oregon DOT noted.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently issued a video report on an electric vehicle knowledge session held during its 2022 Annual Meeting in Orlando.

[Above image by AASHTO]

Sponsored by Jacobs and held October 22, 2022, that knowledge session featured a panel discussion among three state department of transportation executives regarding their efforts to help coordinate the construction of recharging infrastructure to help support the broader adoption and use of EVs across the United States.

The panel featured executives from the Michigan Department of Transportation, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and Florida Department of Transportation discussing their specific state EV plans in conjunction with the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure or NEVI formula program.

In September 2022, the Federal Highway Administration issued final approvals for the EV infrastructure deployment plans submitted by all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Those plan approvals allow all of those 52 transportation departments to unlock more than $900 million in fiscal year 2022 and 2023 NEVI funding.

FHWA noted that the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA, enacted in November 2021, provides $5 billion in funds for the NEVI program over the next five years to help build EV chargers covering approximately 75,000 miles of highway across the country.

Governor Kathy Hochul (D) recently issued $23 million in funding and awards for transportation electrification initiatives across New York State.

[Above photo via the New York Governor’s Office]

That includes $8 million via the third round of the Direct Current Fast Charger or DCFC program funding for installing electric vehicle infrastructure. It also includes $7 million in awards to ChargePoint and EVGateway to improve EV charger access in upstate New York and $8 million to purchase electric school buses and paratransit buses under the New York Truck Voucher Incentive or NYTVI program.

The DCFC program, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, seeks proposals from EV developers and installers that have a minimum of two years of experience and at least 10 fast chargers or 200 Level 2 chargers in operation. Under this solicitation, the state will consider proposals that would develop two or more fast-charging sites, with at least half of all stations located in underserved areas.

Each site must be able to charge at least four vehicles and have a total site capacity of 600 kilowatts or more.

Additionally, each site must be located within 12 miles of Buffalo, Rochester, or Syracuse city centers, and each proposal must have at least one site located within the city limits, the governor’s office said.

Funding for both the DCFC Program and NYTVI program are part of New York State’s $127.7 million portion of the federal Volkswagen Settlement funds administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

All of those efforts support the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goals of reducing carbon emissions 85 percent by 2050, with at least 35 percent of the benefits from clean energy investments directed to disadvantaged communities.

“Reducing air pollution across the state is not only crucial for improving the health of our communities, but it also presents an exciting opportunity to invest in clean transportation options,” Gov. Hochul noted in a statement.

“By putting more electric buses on the road and installing fast chargers in underserved areas, we can provide New Yorkers with access to the latest in sustainable transportation,” she added. “This not only advances equity and sustainability, but it also sets the stage for a brighter, cleaner future for all.”

“This announcement on electric charging access for underserved communities in Upstate New York reflects [our] commitment to a cleaner, greener state while providing incentives to support electric school and paratransit buses,” added Marie Therese Dominguez, commissioner of the New York State Department of Transportation. “The green revolution is upon us, and with Governor Hochul’s unwavering support, New York continues to lead the way.”