Oklahoma Transportation Commission approves first round of National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation is moving forward with the first phase of expanding electric vehicle infrastructure. Monday, the Oklahoma Transportation Commission approved more than $8 million in federal funds be awarded to three private partners to build 13 charging stations along Oklahoma interstates.
The stations will be within 50 miles of preexisting or planned sites in designated corridors, within 1-mile driving distance of an exit, equipped with at least four charging ports capable of simultaneous 150kW or higher charging, accessible 24/7/365, and have broadband or cellular capability. Once installed, these 13 stations will complete the EV charging corridors on I-35, I-40 and I-44 in Oklahoma.
"Range anxiety is a real concern for electric vehicle owners here in Oklahoma and nationwide," said ODOT Multi-Modal Division Engineer Jared Schwennesen. "We believe this will be a major step toward cutting down on that anxiety and providing a reliable charging network across Oklahoma."
The contracts were awarded to Love’s Travel Stops, Francis Energy LLC and Tesla Inc. who will provide a combined $7 million in private funding match to build the stations. Through this public-private partnership, the private partners will design, build, operate and maintain the charging stations.
The charging stations are expected to be opened in 2025. Learn more about the NEVI plan here: https://oklahoma.gov/evok.html.
About Federal Highway Administration NEVI Formula Program
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, enacted as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Public Law 117-58 marks the most transformative investment in EV charging in United States history that will provide a guideline to a nationwide network of 500,000 EV chargers by 2030 and ensures a convenient, affordable, reliable and equitable charging experience for all users.
The $5 billion NEVI Formula Program will provide dedicated funding to states to strategically deploy EV charging infrastructure and establish an interconnected network to facilitate data collection, access and reliability. Initially, funding under this program is directed to designated alternative fuel corridors for electric vehicles to build out this national network, particularly along the interstate highway system. When the national network is fully built, funding may be used on any public road or in other publicly accessible locations.
