The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) will not own or install any of the charging stations, but will instead enter public/private partnerships to build and maintain charging infrastructure. Like gas stations, chargers will be privately owned and operated. Chargers and associated infrastructure will be installed and maintained by Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP) certified electricians.
Charging stations are required to be publicly accessible to the traveling public 24 hours per day and seven days per week. While no amenities must be provided, ODOT awards evaluation points to proposals that include and maximize amenities accessible on site or within safe walking proximity of project locations as part of their proposal.
The Federal NEVI program requires Combined Charging System (CCS) chargers with at least 150kW capability. Other chargers can be built at the sites but only the CCS ports are currently NEVI approved. While ODOT is fully committed to serving the widest range of EV drivers today, and throughout the future as the EV market evolves, the agency chose not to require NACS ports as part of its 2023 NEVI procurement. ODOT included proposal evaluation criteria to consider NACS connectors as part of "Future Proofing" elements of NEVI funded charging station proposals, and as such, will evaluate proposals more highly if they included NACS ports in their design.
The Federal NEVI program requires that charging stations with at least 4x150kW+ CCS ports be installed at reasonable distances along federally designated Alternative Fuel Corridors. After those corridors are certified as “Fully Built Out” by FHWA Oklahoma Division Office, ODOT is able to use the remaining federal funds to install charging infrastructure elsewhere in the state, including state highways and local roads.
The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), is a $5 billion program that plans to make historic investments in electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across the country. The goal of this program is to establish a network of 500,000 EV chargers by 2030 along federally designated Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFC) in the United States and ensure a convenient, reliable, and affordable charging experience for all users. To achieve this national goal, each state is required to develop an EV Infrastructure Deployment Plan (Plan) that describes how NEVI Formula Program funds will be used in conformity with guidance from the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office) (https://driveelectric.gov/).
Oklahoma will receive $66.3 million in federal NEVI program funding. This funding does not come from Oklahoma’s transportation budget and does not impact other state transportation programs. Oklahoma’s NEVI Plan (https://oklahoma.gov/evok.html) will guide Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Oklahoma Secretary of Energy and Environment (OSEE) as they receive and distribute NEVI funds, and work toward fulfilling their responsibility in building a national EV charging network. This network will include EV charging corridors across the State that improve economic development and tourism.
ODOT envisions a comprehensive strategy that ensures EV travel across the State through accessible placement of EV chargers throughout Oklahoma’s roadway network. A fully compliant network of EV chargers will reduce ‘range anxiety’ by ensuring that chargers are conveniently located in a safe environment and available at any time.
The Oklahoma NEVI Plan began in April 2022 and led by the ODOT and OSEE, in coordination with state agencies, local Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), Regional Transportation Planning Organizations (RTPOs), Clean Cities Coalitions, utilities and public stakeholders and committees per FHWA’s recommended stakeholder groups from their 90-day guidance. 1 The Plan presented represents ODOT and OSEE’s commitment to increasing access to EV charging infrastructure across the state.
Oklahoma was allocated $66 million through the NEVI program to create an EV charging network across the state. Oklahoma has already been awarded $8.8 million to fill in gaps along parts of I-35, I-40, and I-44. Oklahoma plans to use the remaining $57.5 million on three focus areas: remaining Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFCs), community charging (non-AFCs), and administration oversight.
Each charging station site is required to contain at least four 150 kW CCS fast chargers totaling a minimum of 600 kW of power per site. Each site will be privately owned and maintained; however, ODOT will have the tools to monitor the systems to ensure operability.
Following FHWA's updated NEVI Guidance, issued in August 2025, ODOT is working to ensure that NEVI-funded EV charging stations are spaced at appropriate distances along Alternative Fuel Corridors, enabling reasonable travel and certainty that charging will be available when necessary.
Once FHWA’s Oklahoma Division office certifies that all Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFCs) for electric vehicles in Oklahoma are fully built out, funds can then be used for EV charging infrastructure on any public road or other publicly accessible location, including regional and local routes of significance, destination charging locations, and freight charging locations. Examples might include public parking facilities, parking at public buildings, public transportation stations, park-and-rides, public schools, public parks, private parking facilities available for public use, visitor centers, and other public locations on Federal Lands.
The chargers will be available to the traveling public, 24 hours per day and 7 days per week, at publicly accessible locations.
Wait times to use a charger will vary widely from low-demand sites, where there are no wait times, to high-demand sites, where there may be several cars waiting to charge for around 20-30 minutes. According to industry standards, when using 150kW chargers, drivers can typically charge electric vehicles up to 80% battery capacity in under 30 minutes or less. Charge times can vary based on the size of the battery, the level of depletion, and the actual vehicle software that can governs how much energy the car can take.
ODOT uses a competitive procurement program that requests applications from interested EVSE (electric vehicle supply equipment) companies, site hosts, and private parties. ODOT selects and awards NEVI Formula program funding to chosen entities to install, own, and operate EVSE charging stations in compliance with all federal and state laws and agency rules. ODOT considers covering 80% of initial project costs through federal allocation but requires a minimum 20% funding match from vendors or site hosts. This programrequires coordination between EVSE vendors and local property owners, ensuring contractors engage communities where NEVI funded EV charging stations will ultimately be installed, operated, and maintained.
E-Bikes are not eligible for NEVI funding as federal guidance currently defines charging port standards solely for passenger cars / commercial trucks, not e-bikes which take different ports.
Please visit the project website at https://oklahoma.gov/evok.html. Please contact the project team at EVOK@ODOT.ORG or (405) 534-0739 with questions/comments or for additional information.