National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program

The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation was created through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to facilitate collaboration between the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Joint Office will align resources and expertise across the two departments toward leveraged outcomes. The office will be a critical component in the implementation of the BIL, providing support and expertise to a multitude of programs that seek to deploy a network of electric vehicle chargers, zero-emission fueling infrastructure, and zero-emission transit and school buses. The scope of the Joint Office will continue to evolve as directed by both departments.

“A modernized and interagency approach to support the deployment of zero-emission, convenient, accessible, equitable transportation infrastructure”
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Program Purpose

The BIL establishes a National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program (“NEVI Formula”) to provide funding to States to strategically deploy electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and to establish an interconnected network to facilitate data collection, access, and reliability.

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The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) NEVI Formula Program will provide funding to states to strategically deploy electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) and to establish an interconnected network to facilitate data collection, access, and reliability. Funding is available for up to 80% of eligible project costs, including:

• The acquisition, installation, and network connection of EVSE to facilitate data collection, access, and reliability;
• Proper operation and maintenance of EVSE; and,
• Long-term EVSE data sharing.

EVSE must be non-proprietary, allow for open-access payment methods, be publicly available or available to authorized commercial motor vehicle operators from more than one company, and be located along designated FHWA Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFCs). If a state and DOT determine that all AFCs in the state have been fully developed, then the state can propose alternative public locations and roads for EVSE installation.

FHWA must distribute the NEVI Program Formula Program funds made available each fiscal year (FY) through FY 2026, so that each state receives an amount equal to the state FHWA funding formula determined by 23 U.S. Code 104. To receive funding, states must submit plans to the DOT and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Office for review and public posting by August 1, 2022, describing how the state intends to distribute NEVI funds. The FHWA will approve state plans on a rolling basis, no later than September 30, 2022. For more information, see the NEVI Formula Program Guidance(PDF), the NEVI Formula Program notice of proposed rulemaking(PDF), the NEVI Formula Program Q&A(PDF), and the state plan recommended template.

Additionally, DOT will establish a grant program by November 15, 2022, for states and localities requiring additional assistance to strategically deploy EVSE under this Program. Additional funding eligibility and considerations will apply.

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On November 15, 2021, the President signed into law the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), enacted as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), (Pub. L. 117-58). The purpose of this memorandum is to highlight the new National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program authorized under Paragraph (2) under the Highway Infrastructure Program heading in title VIII of division J of the BIL.

This memorandum provides background, funding eligibilities, and program guidance for implementation of these historic investments in electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure that will put the United States on a path to a nationwide network of 500,000 EV chargers by 2030 and ensure a convenient, reliable, affordable, and equitable charging experience for all users. Under this program, each State is required to submit an EV Infrastructure Deployment Plan (Plan) that describes how the State intends to use its apportioned NEVI Formula Program funds in accordance with this guidance.

No NEVI Formula Program funds shall be obligated by a State until FHWA approves that State’s Plan, although staffing and other activities related to the development of a Plan will be eligible for reimbursement (in accordance with 2 CFR Part 200).

Plans must be submitted to the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office) not later than August 1, 2022 and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will approve eligible Plans by September 30, 2022. States that submit plans before August 1, 2022 will be approved by FHWA on a rolling basis

Read the Full Memo Here

Fact Sheet: Justice40 Initiatives

As part of a suite of technical assistance resources, the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation connects stakeholders with critical data and tools that are already available. These resources will continue to expand over time to meet evolving needs. Initially, this suite of resources is aimed to help states deploy electric vehicle charging infrastructure by:

• Providing foundational datasets, including installed chargers and designated corridors
• Helping states discover information independently
• Enabling the market to expand using core capabilities from the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Transportation
• Addressing gaps in existing datasets and tool requirements
• Facilitating connections among states with electric charging experts

EV Program Development Tools

These resources can help states with developing an electric vehicle charging program.

• EV States Clearinghouse: Repository for state EV program documents, current state-level EV roadmaps, and other resources to support EV infrastructure program development
• Alternative Fuel Toolkit: Best practices and information from the Alternative Fuel Corridors program

Equity and Climate Impact Tools

These resources help states understand equity and climate considerations.

• Rural EV Toolkit: Resources from the U.S. Department of Transportation to assist rural stakeholders with planning for electric vehicle charging infrastructure
• EV Charging Justice40 Map: Tool from Argonne National Laboratory providing interactive maps of disadvantaged communities
• Screening Tool for Equity Analysis of Projects (STEAP): Mapping tool from the Federal Highway Administration that supports environmental justice screening
• Low-Income Energy Affordability Data Tool: Tool from the U.S. Department of Energy that provides estimates of low-income and moderate-income household energy data
• Limited English Proficiency Guidance: Guidance from the U.S. Department of Transportation on providing meaningful access to programs and activities for people with limited English proficiency
• Energy Zones Mapping Tool: Mapping tool from Argonne National Laboratory to identify potential energy resource areas and energy corridors in the United States
• Transportation Equity Analysis: Tools and resources from Argonne National Laboratory that support transportation energy equity analysis

Network and Environmental Data

These resources help states in understanding external factors to support their electric vehicle charging infrastructure deployment.

• Laws and Incentives: Federal and state laws and incentives from the Alternative Fuels Data Center related to alternative fuels and vehicles, air quality, fuel efficiency, and other transportation-related topics
• Clean Cities Coalition Network: Local alternative fuel and transportation experts funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy
• Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS): Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on fatal traffic crashes in the United States
• Cybersecurity Framework: Guidance from the National Institute of Standards and Technology to help organizations manage and reduce cybersecurity risk
• Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS): Public road inventory information from the Federal Highway Administration

Find more details about Alternative Fuel Corridors Here

Rural EV Toolkit

The rapid growth in electric vehicles (EVs) today is part of a fundamental shift in transportation, a change that promises substantial benefits to individuals, businesses, communities, and the entire Nation. All Americans, regardless of where they live, should have the opportunity to benefit from the lower operating costs, reduced maintenance needs, and improved performance that EVs provide. All communities—including communities of color, underserved communities, and environmental justice communities—should have access to the economic opportunities and improved air quality that EVs offer. The entire Nation will benefit from the successful nationwide adoption of EVs as one important element in the Federal Government’s strategy to eliminate climate-related emissions from transportation, alongside investments in quality transit, bicycle, and pedestrian networks that give Americans real choices in how to travel.

In rural parts of the country—home to 20 percent of Americans and almost 70 percent of America’s road miles—EVs can be an especially attractive alternative to conventional vehicles. Rural residents drive more than their urban counterparts, spend more on vehicle fuel and maintenance, and often have fewer alternatives to driving to meet their transportation needs. Over the long run, EVs will help residents of rural areas reduce those costs and minimize the environmental impact of transportation in their communities.

The Federal Government has set a goal to make half of all new vehicles sold in the U.S. in 2030 zero-emissions vehicles, and to build a convenient and equitable network of 500,000 chargers to help make EVs accessible to all Americans for both local and long-distance trips. On November 15, 2021, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, also referred to as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which contains $7.5 billion in new funding for EV charging stations, makes EV charging infrastructure eligible for additional Federal funding programs, and provides funding for numerous other EV-related initiatives. This funding will benefit rural communities across the country by providing a ready source of capital for EV infrastructure projects.

Publicly accessible charging stations will play a key role in achieving a large-scale national transition to EVs. While most EV owners will primarily charge their vehicles at home and at work, many individuals and businesses will also depend on public charging. These include renters, residents of multifamily housing, and others who do not have access to their own chargers at home, as well as drivers on longer trips.

Increasing the availability of affordable public charging will help give rural Americans—and anyone who drives in rural America—the confidence that they will be able to recharge when and where they need to, just as reliably as they can refuel a conventional vehicle today.

Toolkit Overview

This toolkit is intended for a variety of rural stakeholders, including States, local communities, Tribes, transportation providers, nonprofits, businesses, and individuals.

The toolkit focuses on infrastructure for light-duty electric passenger vehicles (such as sedans, sport utility vehicles, and pickup trucks), but also addresses funding opportunities and planning considerations for other types of electric vehicles, including transit and school buses, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, and agricultural equipment such as tractors.

Users can browse the web version of the toolkit using the left-navigational menu and in-text links or view a PDF version of the toolkit.

This toolkit covers the stages of EV infrastructure development in the following sections:

Electric Vehicle Basics

Electric Vehicle Basics provides a brief overview of types of EVs; the three levels, or speeds, of charging stations; and recent strides in advancing EV readiness in rural communities.

Benefits and Challenges of Rural Vehicle Electrification

Benefits and Challenges of Rural Vehicle Electrification introduces the benefits to rural communities and individuals associated with EVs and EV charging infrastructure, as well as some of the challenges and evolving strategies for rural communities to be able to realize those benefits.

Partnership Opportunities

Partnership Opportunities discusses key partners and stakeholders for rural EV infrastructure projects, including regional and local coalitions, planning agencies, utilities, and site hosts.

EV Infrastructure Planning for Rural Areas

EV Infrastructure Planning for Rural Areas summarizes the different scales of EV infrastructure planning, provides a walk-through of the key technical considerations in planning a new installation, and discusses methods to support an equitable planning process.

EV Infrastructure Funding and Financing for Rural Areas

EV Infrastructure Funding and Financing for Rural Areas provides information on Federal funding programs and other funding-related resources that may reduce the financial burden of implementing EV infrastructure. A Rural EV Infrastructure Funding Matrix provides a comprehensive list of Federal funding programs applicable to different types of rural EV charging projects.

Resources for EV Infrastructure Planning

Resources for EV Infrastructure Planning provides an annotated list of planning support tools and other resources.

Environmental Statutes and Executive Orders

Environmental Statutes and Executive Orders discusses regulations relevant to EV infrastructure planning.

Toolkit Structure and Sequence

Many of the activities described in this toolkit can—and often do—happen in parallel, so the user can expect to jump between sections as needed. Toolkit users are encouraged to treat this document not as a sequential list of instructions, but as a constant companion in the process of completing a project.