The U.S. Departments of Transportation and Energy announced Thursday that nearly $5 billion would be made available to build out a national electric vehicle charging network under the new National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program.
Established by President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the program will provide funding over the next five years to help states create a network of EV charging stations along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors, particularly along the Interstate Highway System. In 2022, the program will make $615 million available to states. However, the states must submit an EV Infrastructure Deployment Plan before accessing the funds.
“A century ago, America ushered in the modern automotive era; now America must lead the electric vehicle revolution,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help us win the EV race by working with states, labor, and the private sector to deploy a historic nationwide charging network that will make EV charging accessible for more Americans.”
A second competitive grant program designed to increase EV charging access in locations throughout the country, including rural and underserved communities, will be announced later in the year, the departments said.
The state plans are expected to build on Alternative Fuel Corridors that nearly every state has designated over the past six years. These corridors will be the “spine” of the EV charging network, the departments said. The new Joint Office of Energy and Transportation will help states implement the NEVI Formula Program by providing technical assistance and support as they develop plans before they are reviewed and approved by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the administrative department handling the funding.
“Americans need to know that they can purchase an electric vehicle and find convenient charging stations when they are using Interstates and other major highways,” Deputy Federal Highway Administrator Stephanie Pollack said. “The new EV formula program will provide states with the resources they need to provide their residents with reliable access to an EV charging station as they travel.”