$100 Mln Federal Funding To Improve EV Charging Network
The Biden Administration has opened applications for the Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator which will provide up to $100 million in Federal funding to repair and replace existing but non-operational, electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.
Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law targets gaps in the growing electric vehicle charging network, helping ensure more reliable publicly accessible chargers.
The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, a $5 billion program administered by the Federal Highway Administration to help states build out EV charging sites, stipulates a 10 percent set-aside for grants to States and localities that require additional assistance to strategically deploy electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The first round of funding will focus on improving the reliability of the current network by repairing or replacing existing EV charging infrastructure at the same time the Biden Administration is making larger-scale investments to deploy new charging stations.
Based on initial estimates of non-operational chargers, FHWA anticipates that the $100 million in funding will likely cover the repair or replacement costs of all eligible projects, which will be awarded through a streamlined application process. This includes both publicly and privately owned chargers – so long as they are available to the public without restriction.
“Charging your electric vehicle should be as easy and convenient as filling up a gas tank – and this investment will make our EV charging network more reliable,” said Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt. “We’re building a bigger EV charging network to keep up with driver demand, and we’re also going to make sure the currently available network is working when you need a charge.”
The AFDC indicated that out of 151,506 public charging ports in the country, 6,261 were temporarily unavailable.
Eligible applicants and projects for the EV Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator are outlined in a Notice of Funding Opportunity published Wednesday. Applications are due by November 13.
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