State Shifting NEVI Strategy to Put EV Charging Stations Where Needed Most

Photo provided.

 PRESS RELEASE 

NOPRTH CAROLINA DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION

JANUARY 27, 2026

RALEIGH – North Carolina transportation officials are hoping a strategic shift will allow them to buildout electric vehicle charging stations in more places where they are needed.

The N.C. Department of Transportation plans to scale back the number of EV charging stations it had originally committed to build along interstates and highways and put more of the state’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program funds toward infrastructure in communities, rural areas and highways where less coverage exists.        

New federal NEVI Program Interim Final Guidance was issued in August that gives states greater flexibility to determine where EV charging stations can be placed.

“The revised guidance enables the department to focus its support for the build out of a statewide EV charging network in areas of the state where there are fewer chargers and greater needs,” said State Transportation Secretary Daniel Johnson. “By focusing on areas of need, it helps ensure that all North Carolinians and those traveling in every corner of the state can access the EV charging network.”

North Carolina received $109 million in NEVI funding from the Federal Highway Administration to build out EV infrastructure along a network of approved alternative fuel corridors​ and in communities.

The first round of the EV charging station buildout started in 2024. Five businesses are now under contract to build and operate charging infrastructure along the state’s major highway corridors in the so-called alternative fuel corridors, or AFC. These corridors are federally designated interstates and highways such as Interstate 40 and U.S. 64 where the first phase of the buildout is occurring. The corridors are strategically located to support alternative fuel vehicle travel, reduce EV owners’ range anxiety, and encourage cleaner transportation. 

New Guidance 

NCDOT had originally planned to build 50 stations along the alternative fuel corridors. But the new NEVI guidance removed strict requirements like a stipulation that there be only 50-miles of space between charging stations along the AFC. 

Also, the new guidance allows states to consider where existing privately developed EV charging infrastructure exists so states can ensure the NEVI-funded projects will not be in direct competition with existing privately developed infrastructure. Since the NEVI program began, several private firms built and now operate charging infrastructure in areas on the AFC originally identified as possible sites for companies interested in applying for NEVI funds.         

“Most of North Carolina’s alternative fuel corridors are fully built out based on the existing charging stations and those charging contracts that have been awarded,” said Heather Hildebrandt, NCDOT Statewide Initiatives manager. “We want to help ensure that the firms receiving NEVI funds will continue to be economically viable.”  

As a result, the NCDOT decided to scale back the NEVI-funded EV charging stations from 41 additional locations to 16 locations along the alternative fuel corridors. 

Putting fewer resources along the AFC will allow NCDOT officials to redirect more of the NEVI funding to develop charging infrastructure in areas, such as rural towns or even highways such as Interstate 26 in the mountains, where fewer EV charging stations exist.    

NCDOT published a map of the 16 sites and a list of the exits and crossroads​ for each charging cluster along the AFC on its website last week. 

The agency plans in late March to issue a request for proposals for businesses interested in applying for NEVI funds to build and operate charging stations in those areas. Businesses interested in applying for funding will have 45 days to respond to the request. 

“We hope that publishing the map now will give developers enough time to explore whether they wish to be part of this process,” said Heather Hildebrandt, NCDOT’s Statewide Initiatives manager. 

The NEVI Program is structured to reimburse private companies up to 80 percent of the cost to construct and operate electric vehicle charging stations for a five-year period. After five years, the charging stations will continue to operate without government support.