HARTFORD, Conn. — The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT) has submitted the state’s “Charging Ahead Plan: A Strategy to Expand Public Electric Vehicle Charging” to the U.S. Department of Transportation, establishing its National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program.
According to a news release, the NEVI program “aims to build out a national system of electric vehicle (EV) chargers to enhance EV driver confidence while traveling long distances, including across state lines.”
Established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the NEVI formula program will provide $5 billion over five years for states to deploy direct current (DC) fast EV chargers along highway corridors. The funds can be used within one mile of federally approved designated corridors, with less than a 50-mile gap between chargers.
“Connecticut’s NEVI plan will provide our state with a robust roadmap to catalyze the expansion of a safe, reliable, and accessible fast-charging EV network along our interstates,” Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Joe Giulietti said. “Transformational infrastructure programs focused on reducing carbon emissions like this will create a cleaner, more equitable, and resilient transportation system for all drivers.”
The NEVI program provides formula funding to states to award grants to private, public and nonprofit entities to build, own, maintain and operate chargers. The program pays up to 80% of eligible costs for charging infrastructure.
CTDOT will not own or operate any EV chargers.
Phase one of Connecticut’s NEVI Plan will focus on building up to 10 locations consisting of at least four individual public DC fast chargers with a minimum power level of 150kW per port along Connecticut’s interstate system.
“Connecticut was one of 11 states to sign the Zero-Emission Vehicle Memorandum of Understanding in 2013 and has committed to an ambitious EV adoption goal of 125,000-150,000 EVs on the road by 2025,” the news release stated. “With the increased deployment of electric vehicle charging equipment, it’s anticipated that consumers will experience reduced range anxiety and increased confidence in charging accessibility. The new funding for charging infrastructure buildout will encourage EV adoption, and also augment the existing Utilities Make-Ready Program and DEEP’s Volkswagen Diesel Mitigation-Zero Emission Infrastructure grant programs.”
As of July 2022, there were more than 25,000 EVs registered in Connecticut — a fraction of the nearly 2.9 million light-duty passenger cars and trucks registered in the state. Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (CTDMV) records indicate that over the last year, more than 10,800 new light-duty EVs have been registered in Connecticut, increasing from over 9,700 the previous year.
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