In the fiscal year 2020-2021, Congress allocated $7.5 billion to support electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across the United States. However, two years later, progress has been limited, with the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program currently operational only in Ohio, where just one charging station has been opened.
The first NEVI charging station, located at the Pilot Travel Center along Interstate 70 near Columbus, Ohio, features four fast-charging ports capable of charging an EV up to 80% in approximately 40 minutes.
Ohio’s second phase plans to add 25 more charging locations along major highways. The state will be receiving a total of $140 million in NEVI funds over the next five years.
This site is currently priced at 59 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Ben, Ben’s Eco Adventures
“It’s a little high, definitely higher than the average for Electrify America in this part of the country,” Ben said on his Youtube channel, which focuses on energy content. “I haven’t checked to see if they charge a session fee; a lot of other EVgo sites do charge a 99-cent session fee. But this is EVgo eXtend, so they may have their own pricing structure, and I’m thinking they may not actually charge a fee. If it works, if it’s reliable, if it’s fast, from my perspective, I’m willing to pay a little bit of a premium for that.”
National challenges and background
While Ohio showcases the NEVI initiative’s potential, the broader national goal of achieving 500,000 EV chargers by 2030 faces challenges. Currently, the United States has approximately 180,000 EV chargers, significantly short of the 2030 target.
Gabe Klein, the executive director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, emphasizes the goal of installing four charging ports every 50 miles along highways as the foundation of a nationwide charging network.
The NEVI initiative aims to provide funds to each state for fast chargers along federal highways, but delays have occurred due to the need for staffing and standards creation.
States manage NEVI funds after plan approval, allowing them to delegate construction and operation to private firms. However, construction permitting and the overall building process can take months to over a year, compounded by the Build America, Buy America Act requiring infrastructure materials to be domestically sourced.
EV trends
Despite challenges, Pennsylvania is set to unveil its first NEVI-funded charger, and six additional states have contracted for initial charging sites. Furthermore, 15 states, along with Puerto Rico, are actively seeking bids from the private sector. Klein expressed pride in the initiative’s development pace, emphasizing the focus on building an equitable, user-friendly, and reliable EV charging network.
While EV investments in the U.S. have surged, with over $85 billion allocated for vehicles, batteries, and chargers since Biden took office, global EV sales rose from 4% in 2020 to 14% in 2022. The transition to electric vehicles continues to gain momentum, with EV battery sales increasing by 20% in the past year.
