EV charging network plans approved for all 50 states

Source: Smart Cities Dive | Danielle McLean | Senior Editor

Dive Brief:

The Federal Highway Administration has approved plans to build out a vast electric charging station network for all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, the agency announced yesterday.
The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure formula program created through the bipartisan infrastructure law last year provides $5 billion to states over five years to build EV charging stations every 50 miles along the federal highway system.

The FHWA’s approval unlocks $1.5 billion in NEVI funds through fiscal years 2022 and 2023, allowing the build-out of chargers covering about 75,000 miles of highway, the agency stated Tuesday.

Dive Insight:

The FHWA stated earlier this month that it had approved plans for 35 states and the District of Columbia. Tuesday’s announcement unlocks the NEVI money for the remaining states and territories. The administration is still working on establishing ground rules for how the formula funds can be spent.

Through the NEVI program, the Biden administration is trying to ease range anxiety during long driving trips to facilitate the mass adoption of EVs throughout rural and urban areas of the U.S. The transition to emission-free vehicles would help the administration reach its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. by 50% below 2005 levels by 2030.