RALEIGH — Businesses can now apply for federal funds to build and operate the first in a series of electric vehicle charging stations along North Carolina’s interstates and major highways.
The N.C. Department of Transportation issued a request for proposals today for firms interested in applying for the first round of North Carolina’s share of National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program funds. North Carolina received $109 million in NEVI funding to build out EV infrastructure along a network of approved corridors and in communities.
Today’s news comes almost one year after Gov. Roy Cooper signed the North Carolina Clean Transportation Plan, which furthered the state’s strategy to decarbonize transportation.
“This is an important step to advance the clean energy economy and meet the demands that come with these once-in-lifetime changes we’re seeing across transportation,” Cooper said. “Getting charging infrastructure built throughout North Carolina will create good-paying jobs, help reduce harmful emissions and help North Carolinians take full advantage of the transition to clean transportation.”
Businesses have until June 10 to apply for North Carolina’s $109 million share of the NEVI program funds for the first batch of EV charging stations included in the first phase of the project.
Phase One
NCDOT has been readying the business community for the rollout of the initial request for proposals. In January, the state agency published a map online with the locations of the first batch of NEVI-funded charging stations.
Today’s RFP will cover the first 11 clusters of EV charging stations helping to fill in the largest gaps in coverage on thoroughfares such as Interstate 40, U.S. 17, and I-77. Each location on a GIS map represents a cluster of one or more exits along the alternative fuel corridors. Applicants for NEVI funding must locate proposed charging stations within the designated clusters. There will be one charging station per cluster.
NCDOT plans to continue the Phase One build out by issuing more RFPs covering another 28 stations along the alternative fuel corridor.
NEVI requires EV charging stations in the first phase to be installed every 50 miles along the federally approved alternative fuel corridors, and that they be within a mile of the corridor. Stations along the corridor will include four combined charging ports and all will be fast-chargers capable of charging a vehicle in about 20 minutes.
NEVI funds are to be used to reimburse businesses for project costs, including procurement, installation and operation of the EV charging stations.
“North Carolina will leverage NEVI funds over the next several years to greatly expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure,” said NCDOT Secretary Joey Hopkins. “This will be a game-changer for travel in our state.”
The NEVI-supported infrastructure will supplement the state’s existing 1,071 DC fast charging ports in North Carolina. All of the NEVI-funded charging stations will be privately owned and operated.
The NEVI-funded build out of EV charging stations will be conducted in two phases. NCDOT expects the first phase to take about five years before the second phase starts.
Phase Two
Phase two will focus on community-based DC fast chargers and Level 2 chargers that take between 4 hours and 8 hours to charge a vehicle. This phase will focus on increasing public access to electric vehicle charging infrastructure, particularly in historically disadvantaged communities.
Download today’s RFP here. As part of the application process, people must review the nine documents included in the request for proposals and follow the instructions for the documents they will need to complete and upload.
Questions?
People with questions about the application should visit the NEVI Application Contact Us page on NCDOT’s website.
In addition to today’s RFP, NCDOT has cleared a number of milestones in the year since Cooper signed the Clean Transportation Plan.
