RALEIGH – Businesses can now apply for the second wave of federal funds to build and operate electric vehicle charging stations to be installed on North Carolina’s interstates and major highways.
The N.C. Department of Transportation issued a request for proposals Friday for firms interested in applying for the second round of National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program funds. This second round of NEVI funding will provide money to help build and operate 16 EV charging stations along the state’s alternative fuel corridors.
Businesses interested in applying should visit the NCDOT NEVI Program website. The site includes the request for proposal documents, applications, a GIS-based map with the proposed locations for the EV charging stations, and other resources. The request for proposals will close at midnight May 11.
This latest batch of EV chargers will add to the chargers being constructed along interstates and highways by six firms already under contract.
This marks another big step in North Carolina’s effort to advance a strategy of decarbonizing transportation. North Carolina received $109 million in NEVI funding to build out EV infrastructure along a network of approved interstates and highway corridors and in communities. The federally subsidized program is meant to supplement the state’s existing DC fast charging ports in North Carolina. All of the NEVI funded charging stations will be privately owned and operated.
NCDOT expects it will take another three years to build out the remaining charging infrastructure on the alternative fuel corridors, which include Interstate 40, I-77 and U.S. 17.
Once these charging stations are built, North Carolina will transition to Phase 2 of the NEVI buildout and move toward developing the charging network in communities and other rural areas where there are fewer chargers and greater needs. Phase 2 will focus on Level 2 chargers, which take between 4 hours and 8 hours to charge a vehicle, and DC fast chargers.
NEVI funds are to be used to reimburse businesses for project costs, including procurement, installation and operation of the EV charging stations.