The Federal Highway Administration has approved Wisconsin’s plan to expand its electric vehicle charging stations under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) initiative.
The approval means that the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) can now receive federal funding to implement the Wisconsin Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan.
“As we work to implement the state’s first-ever Clean Energy Plan, upgrading Wisconsin’s electric vehicle infrastructure is one of the most important steps forward we can take to move towards a cleaner, more sustainable future,” Gov. Evers said. “This plan approval and the federal funds Wisconsin will receive as a result will help bolster our state, our infrastructure, and our economy for years to come.”
“We are seeing an increasing demand for electric vehicles in Wisconsin and manufacturers are ramping up production of electric models. Some manufacturers have goals of producing 100% electric vehicles in the future,” WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson said. “To accommodate this growth, Wisconsin is stepping up its efforts to provide the electric vehicle infrastructure the state will need.”
WisDOT estimates receiving approximately $78.65 million over the next five years under the NEVI program. Today most electric vehicle charging is accomplished at home. To support long distance electric vehicle trips and overcome range anxiety, NEVI funds will be used to develop a network of publicly accessible charging stations along Wisconsin’s Alternative Fuel Corridors.
Currently, these include five Interstates: I-90, I-94, I-43, I-41, and I-535; seven U.S. highways: US 53, US 151, parts of US 51, WIS 29, US 2 and US 141, and all of US 8 and US 41.
Wisconsin’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan envisions placement of approximately 60 charging station locations within 50 miles of each other on Wisconsin’s designated Alternative Fuel Corridors.
