[Image above] The first electric vehicle charging station funded through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, shown here, opened in London, Ohio, in December 2023. Among all the states, Ohio leads the way in implementing their NEVI Formula Program plan with six stations open to the public and 12 locations under construction. Credit: Power A Clean Future Ohio, YouTube
I’ve had several friends in the market for new cars recently, and they have all expressed the same sentiment—though an electric vehicle is nice in theory, the lack of charging stations outside of big cities makes these vehicles unsuitable for their road trip lifestyle. This concern may soon be a worry of the past, however, thanks to the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program.
The NEVI Formula Program is one of many initiatives from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The program aims to establish a nationwide network of 500,000 electric vehicle chargers by 2030, thereby ensuring “a convenient, affordable, reliable, and equitable charging experience for all users,” according to the U.S. Department of Transportation NEVI Formula Program page.
To accomplish this goal, the U.S. Departments of Transportation and Energy are coordinating the distribution of nearly $5 billion to all U.S. states to help them deploy electric vehicle charging stations within their borders, mostly along the Interstate Highway System.
CTT reported on the NEVI Formula Program twice in 2022, when funding was first announced and when states released their plans for the funding. In the more than two years since then, few projects have made it all the way to deployment, with 69 NEVI-funded public charging ports in operation across 17 stations in eight states. However, most states are positioned to deploy many more charging ports in the next two years, according to the most recent NEVI Quarterly Update released by the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation.
The update says that a total of 40 states have released at least their first round of solicitations for electric vehicle charging projects. Of these states, 29 have issued conditional awards or put agreements in place for more than 2,800 fast charging ports across more than 700 charging station locations.
These planned charging ports are not just along major roadways. As the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation explained in an August 2024 press release, funding is also being directed to sites located in disadvantaged communities, such as $3.9 million to install publicly accessible community chargers on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota.
Despite the slow gains from the NEVI Formula Program, private investments for electric vehicle charging infrastructure have made significant strides. In August 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that the number of publicly available electric vehicle chargers has doubled to more than 192,000 since 2020, and they attribute this success to the “catalyzing effect” of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
As more states move ahead with their electric vehicle infrastructure projects, the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation released a report on September 5 containing recommendations for deploying an application programming interface that allows third party software developers to aggregate charging station data and provide mapping services and other applications to drivers. Meanwhile, the National Charging Experience Consortium released a report on September 18 that helps identify gaps in adapters’ performance and adherence to common safety requirements.
For a deeper look at the NEVI Formula Program and expectations for the future, check out the video below. Also, view the deployment plans submitted by each state at this link.
Credit: Plug and Play EV, YouTube
