$5 Billion Over Five Years for National EV Charging Network Plus More

[G. David Felt]

The nearly $5 billion dollar NEVI program is to help states create a network of EV charging stations along the Interstate Highway System. The total amount available under Fiscal Year 2022 is $615 million and states must submit an EV Infrastructure Deployment Plan before access is given to the funds.

A second, competitive grant program will be announced later this year with the details on how additional funding can be accessed with a focus on increasing EV charging access throughout the country that is focused on rural and underserved communities. 

This will help drive charging numbers across the country.

Quote the press release:

“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.”

“We are modernizing America’s national highway system for drivers in cities large and small, towns and rural communities, to take advantage of the benefits of driving electric,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is helping states to make electric vehicle charging more accessible by building the necessary infrastructure for drivers across America to save money and go the distance, from coast-to-coast.”

A part of this Bipartisan program is that the hardware is all to be made in America with details to be found here: EV Charger Manufacturing in America

A key part of this is the commitment to purchase 30,000 DC Fast chargers per year made in America by Tritium at the Lebanon, Tennessee manufacturing facility that will employ 500 local jobs alone. This is on top of major announcements for key investments in U.S. manufacturing by Intel, General Motors, Boeing, Ford, Siemens, ABB, Freewire Technologies and Dunamis Clean Energy Partners. These companies are focusing on ensuring the U.S. has ample supply of semiconductors, electric vehicles, aircraft, batteries, both current Lithium-ion and all-solid-state, EV charging from home Level 2 chargers to DC Fast chargers and commercial DC Fast Chargers for commercial autos. This program is also working to ensure minorities and especially woman-owned businesses are included in all levels of business in relation to the future of the electric auto industry and supporting supply chain needs in North America.

This is just a start as the Bipartisan Program also includes $7 Billion in funding to secure American EV supply chain, from materials processing to battery manufacturing and recycling. The bill also will take the EV Charging Network to a total of $7.5 Billion dollars as they bring online the national public charging network that covers rural and underserved communities.

NEVI will build on the Alternative Fuel Corridors that nearly every state has designated over the past six years. These alternative Fuel Corridors will be the spine of the National EV Charging Network. An example of this is the West Coast Electric Highway that started by ensuring charging was available at rest stops and local restaurants from Vancouver BC, Canada south through Washington, Oregon and California ending in Baja California. This allowed people with BEVs to make road trips all along the west coast and have access to recharging. It has since expanded over the last decade to include many state roads. The coastal road of highway 101 as well as the inner-city highway 99 are both included in the west coast electric highway system.

West Coast Green Highway: West Coast Electric Highway

For those that are interested in everything from tools, assistance to jobs in the growing field of zero-emission transportation infastructure, a new web site has been build and is open for folks to review as it is a joint effort by the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation.

Home Page · Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (driveelectric.gov)

For those that like a quick list of facts and the details supporting this here is the 411 or detailed go to for information.

• FHWA Notice N 4510.863 - Apportionment Of Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Highway Infrastructure Program Funds for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program Pursuant to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act | Federal Highway Administration (dot.gov)
• The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program Guidance (dot.gov)
• 2.8.22 Clean Draft per HCC edits (dot.gov)
• Bipartisan Infrastructure Law - 5-year National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Funding by State | Federal Highway Administration (dot.gov)

I will say that it is a very interesting observation that those states that have been very resistance to BEVs and the whole green new deal for power in the south are some of the very states getting some of the largest funding for NEVI. A quick example of this is Texas with $407,774,759 in NEVI funding and Florida with $198,057,481 in NEVI funding.

Current Fiscal Year 2022 Funding by State

This program is aimed at having the U.S. lead the world in a move to BEVs and put the U.S. on a course to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

 

President Biden, USDOT and USDOE Announce $5 Billion over Five Years for National EV Charging Network, Made Possible by Bipartisan Infrastructure Law | US Department of Transportation

President Biden, DOE and DOT Announce $5 Billion over Five Years for National EV Charging Network | Department of Energy

President Biden, USDOT and USDOE Announce $5 Billion over Five Years for National EV Charging Network, Made Possible by Bipartisan Infrastructure Law | FHWA

Alternative Fuel Corridors - Environment - FHWA (dot.gov)

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