News

The Biden-Harris Administration today opened applications for a new multi-billion-dollar program to fund electric vehicle (EV) charging and alternative-fueling infrastructure in communities across the country and along designated highways, interstates, and major roadways. This is a key step towards the President’s goals of building a national network of 500,000 public EV charging stations and reducing national greenhouse gas emissions by 50%–52% by 2030.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s new Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program, established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will provide $2.5 billion over five years to a wide range of applicants, including cities, counties, local governments, and tribes. This round of funding makes up to $700 million from Fiscal Years (FY) 2022 and 2023 funding available to strategically deploy EV charging and other alternative vehicle-fueling infrastructure projects in publicly accessible locations in urban and rural communities, as well as along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFCs).

“By helping bring EV charging to communities across the country, this administration is modernizing our infrastructure and creating good jobs in the process,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “With today’s announcement, we are taking another big step forward in creating an EV future that is convenient, affordable, reliable, and accessible to all Americans.”

The CFI Discretionary Grant Program builds on the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, for which the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) published finalized minimum standards earlier this month. EV chargers constructed with CFI funds must adhere to those same standards, a requirement that supports a consistent charging experience for users and ensures that our national charging network is convenient, reliable and Made in America.

“Extending EV charging infrastructure into traditionally underserved areas will ensure that equitable and widespread EV adoption takes hold,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “Ensuring that charging stations are more visible and accessible in our communities addresses the concerns many American drivers have when considering making the switch to electric.”

While the NEVI Formula Program sends money to states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C., to build EV charging infrastructure along designated interstates, U.S. routes, and state highways, the CFI Discretionary Grant Program awards competitive grants to projects serving a range of applicants to fill gaps in the national charging and alternative-fueling network and build out charging in communities.

A priority of the CFI Program is bringing EV charging into urban and rural communities; downtown areas and local neighborhoods, particularly in underserved and disadvantaged communities; as well as to designated alternative fuel corridors. Both the NEVI and CFI programs will create good-paying jobs across the country as more workers are needed to install and maintain EV charging stations, and both programs will help put the country on a path to a nationwide network of 500,000 EV chargers by 2030.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law divides the CFI Program into two distinct grant funding categories, and requires that 50% of the funding over five years is made available for each:

• The Community Program will provide $1.25 billion to strategically deploy publicly accessible EV charging infrastructure, and hydrogen, propane, or natural gas fueling infrastructure in communities. Infrastructure may be located on any public road or in other publicly accessible locations such as parking facilities at public buildings, public schools, and public parks, or in publicly accessible parking facilities owned or managed by a private entity.
• The Corridor Program will provide $1.25 billion to strategically deploy publicly accessible EV charging infrastructure and hydrogen, propane, and natural gas fueling infrastructure along designated alternative fuel corridors (AFCs).

“FHWA is committed to helping towns and cities, large and small, build modern, sustainable infrastructure that promotes equity and opportunity for their local economies and net-zero emissions for the nation by 2050,” said Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt. “By encouraging the adoption and expansion of EV charging and alternative fuels, CFI Program investments have the potential to significantly address the transportation sector’s outsized contributions to climate change.”

Eligible applicants and projects for both categories are outlined in a Notice of Funding Opportunity published today. Applications are due by May 30, 2023.

FHWA seeks to fund projects that address environmental justice, particularly for communities such as rural and low- and moderate-income neighborhoods that may disproportionately experience the consequences of climate change and other pollutants.

Today’s announcement builds on a comprehensive series of EV-related actions taken by the Biden-Harris administration.

• In September 2022, FHWA approved all 52 EV charging plans from states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C.,—unlocking approximately $1.5 billion in FY22 and FY23 funding that can be used to implement those plans.
• Earlier this February, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s FHWA announced finalized standards to make charging electric vehicles convenient, affordable, reliable, equitable, and safe for all Americans—no matter what car you drive or what state you charge in.
• Earlier this February, the White House announced an implementation plan for President Biden’s Build America, Buy America requirements that will incentivize companies to invest in domestic production of EV charging components, positioning U.S. workers and businesses to compete and lead globally in a critical industry while providing a common-sense transition period for companies to onshore complex supply chains.
• The new Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office) released a notice of intent to issue a funding opportunity for its Ride and Drive Electric research and development program. The community-driven models for EV charging deployment area of interest (AOI) may explore how to maximize benefits for underserved and disadvantaged communities and the workforce development AOI may explore how disadvantaged communities will benefit from high-quality job growth expected from transportation electrification.

“It’s critical that we build a national charging network that provides EV drivers with the right type of charging in the right location—whether that’s high-powered charging on highway corridors and in urban hubs or Level 2 charging where EV drivers or riders live, work, and play,” said Joint Office Executive Director Gabe Klein. “By working with cities and communities through the CFI Program to get this mix right, we can ensure that everyone has convenient and affordable access to riding and driving electric.”

FHWA and the Joint Office plan to conduct outreach to potential grant applicants regarding the CFI Program via webinars throughout March and April and will provide direct technical assistance to support states and communities as they build EV charging infrastructure through the NEVI Program and projects awarded under the CFI Program. Information on upcoming webinars can be viewed here.

The Joint Office, through the new Joint Office United Support for Transportation (JUST) Lab Consortium, will convene three U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories, to help identify practical approaches to integrate equity into federally-funded EV infrastructure deployment efforts—like projects awarded under the CFI Program—spanning deployment planning, implementation pathways, and policy design. Visit DriveElectric.gov to access technical assistance from the Joint Office, including:

• The Alternative Fuel Life-Cycle Environmental and Economic Transportation (AFLEET) Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Emissions Tool to assess estimated emissions reductions from EV charging infrastructure along designated alternative fuel corridors
• Key Considerations from Past U.S. Department of Energy-Funded Projects on curbside EV charging, EV car share, EV charging for multifamily housing, and EV mobility hubs.

For more information on President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and investments in electric vehicles, please visit FHWA’s BIL web site.

The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced nearly $1.7 billion in available funding through the Low or No Emission and Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Competitive Programs FY2023 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The funding will support state and local efforts to modernize aging transit fleets with low- and no-emission buses, renovate and construct bus facilities, and assist workforce development.

Funding for the NOFO was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and is available for two programs, the Low or No Emission Vehicle Grant Program (Low-No Program) and the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Competitive Program. DOT FTA is joining these two grant opportunities in one NOFO, and applicants are welcome to apply to either program or both. These programs can help:

• Replace old transit agency buses
• Provide good-paying jobs
• Improve transit affordability and reliability
• Invest in community health and environmental justice
• Contribute to the federal goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.

Applicants must submit proposals electronically by April 13, 2023.

Joint Office Transit Technical Assistance for Transit

Currently, the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office) is providing technical assistance to transit fleets planning to apply for or receiving funds from DOT's Low-No Program. The Joint Office offers transit technical assistance for those interested in applying for this NOFO to help plan for and deploy clean transit buses.

Learn more about Joint Office technical assistance for transit agencies.

Read the DOT FTA press release.

The Joint Office released a notice of intent to issue a funding opportunity for its Ride and Drive Electric research and development program. This program will help address discrete barriers toward realizing a convenient, accessible, and equitable EV charging network through focused investment in EV charging reliability, resiliency, equity, and workforce development.

The Department of Energy also announced $7.4 million in funding for seven projects to develop innovative medium- and heavy-duty EV charging and hydrogen corridor infrastructure plans serving millions of Americans across 23 states.

Today the Biden-Harris administration announced the latest actions that will empower states to take the next steps toward building a national network of EV charging that is convenient, accessible, and equitable. States now have access to the final minimum standards for federally funded EV infrastructure, as well as the Build America, Buy America implementation plan for EV charging equipment. The final minimum standards and Build America, Buy America plan provide all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico with every tool needed to build EV charging stations pursuant to their approved state charging plans developed under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program.

These standards will help to ensure that chargers operated by different networks will operate similarly and provide the traveling public with a predictable EV charging experience—no matter what car you drive or where you charge. The standards will also require that chargers have consistent plug types and charging speeds, common payment systems, and accessible pricing information, locations, and availability. In addition, these standards establish strong workforce requirements and will create and support good-paying, highly skilled jobs in communities across the country.

“This is a major step toward a world where every EV user will be able to find safe, reliable charging stations anywhere in the country,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “We’re establishing common, universal standards for EV charging stations just like the ones for gas stations, so that recharging an EV away from home will be as predictable and accessible as filling up a gas tank.”

The Build America, Buy America implementation plan incentivizes companies to invest in domestic production of EV charging components, while providing a transition period for companies to onshore their supply chains. The rapidly expanding industry is ramping up production to make high-quality, Made-in-America compliant chargers, creating good manufacturing jobs and helping the United States cement its leadership in clean energy manufacturing.

The administration also announced that cities, towns, tribes, and states will soon be able to apply for competitive grants to build EV charging stations in communities across the country. The first round of funding will open soon and make $700 million from fiscal years 2022 and 2023 available through the new Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant program. This program was established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and provides $2.5 billion over five years to strategically deploy EV charging infrastructure and other fueling infrastructure projects in urban and rural communities in publicly accessible locations, including downtown areas and local neighborhoods, particularly in underserved and disadvantaged communities.

“The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation in its first year has worked closely with the Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, and the Department of Energy, as well as states, communities, and stakeholders across the country to make sure that the Biden-Harris administration’s goal to build a network of 500,000 chargers is reliable, equitable, and frictionless for the public to use,” said Joint Office Executive Director Gabe Klein.

The Joint Office will conduct outreach and continue to provide direct technical assistance to states and communities as they build EV charging infrastructure. Contact us.

Today, the Biden-Harris administration announced its latest set of actions aimed at creating a convenient, reliable, and Made-in-America electric vehicle (EV) charging network. These actions will support and accelerate progress toward meeting President Biden’s goal of building a national network of 500,000 EV chargers along America’s highways and in our communities and have EVs make up at least 50% of new car sales by 2030, all while advancing an industrial strategy to continue to build out the domestic EV and EV charging industry. The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation supports these objectives by helping accelerate the deployment of a convenient, reliable, affordable, and equitable national network of charging stations and providing technical assistance to states and localities so they can strategically build EV charging stations and other infrastructure.

Actions taken by the federal government serve as a catalyst for private investment in both domestic EV charging manufacturing and meaningful commitments to build out EV charging infrastructure across the country that will enable a future where everyone can ride and drive electric. Below is an overview of some of the major private sector investments that have been announced in the last two years. If your company or organization has made investments in EV charging manufacturing and/or the buildout of publicly accessible EV charging stations and you would like to bring that activity to the attention of the Joint Office, please contact us.

Charging Network Companies Making Significant Investments in EV Charging Infrastructure

Private investments have and will continue to supplement public dollars by filling gaps, serving rural and hard-to-reach locations, and building capacity along corridors and in communities. In the last two years, network companies have committed to install more than 100,000 Level 2 and direct current (DC) fast public chargers available for all EVs, including:

• Blink has committed to spending $62 million over the next 10 years to expand its nationwide electric charging network.

• CBL Properties and EVgo announced a partnership to add EVgo fast charging to select retail locations, including the first EVgo station in Kansas.

• ChargePoint has had several significant investments recently:

  • The company opened its first East Coast office in Greenville, South Carolina. The company invested a quarter-million dollars in its buildout, continuing the trend of strong EV investment in the state. The new office will initially host nearly 20 employees with a specific focus on charging for EV fleets.
  • It recently announced a partnership with Stem, a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven clean energy solutions and services, to accelerate the deployment of DC fast chargers with battery storage and AI-driven energy management along highway corridors. This partnership will allow businesses looking to install EV chargers to reduce their operating costs, increase energy efficiency, and better use green energy sources like solar.
  • It expanded its partnership with SMTC Corporation to expand DC fast charger production, establish a manufacturing line for Level 2 chargers at their Milpitas, California, facility, and create approximately 250 new manufacturing jobs. The expanded facility will be able to produce 10,000 DC fast charger dispensers and 10,000 Level 2 chargers by 2026.
  • The company partnered with the National Electrical Contractors Association to prepare its nearly 4,000 member companies, all of which are International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers unionized, to install EV charging infrastructure quickly and professionally.

• ChargePoint, Volvo Cars, and Starbucks announced a partnership to deploy 60 DC fast chargers at up to 15 locations along the 1,350-mile pilot route between Seattle and Denver to be completed by summer 2023.

• Edison Electric Institute, an association representing the nation’s investor-owned electric companies, is investing more than $4 billion to expand customer access to EV charging at homes, multifamily housing, workplaces, and public destinations and to support fleet electrification. More than $1 billion of additional investment is pending approval by state public utility commissions. Members of the National Electric Highway Coalition, made up of more than 60 investor-owned and municipal electric companies and electric cooperatives, have supported more than 2,200 EV fast charging ports to date through investment, incentives, or other programs and are committed to supporting an additional 5,300 fast charging ports over the next several years.

• Electrify America recently held the official groundbreaking of Electrify America Solar Glow 1, the new 75-MW solar photovoltaics project in San Bernardino County, California, to help back all energy delivered to EV drivers with renewable energy across more than 800 DC fast charging stations nationwide.

• EVgo formally launched EVgo ReNew, an enhanced and comprehensive maintenance program to improve reliability and the overall customer experience. As part of EVgo ReNew, EVgo plans to replace, upgrade, or in some cases retire hundreds of stations to meet the company’s quality and technology standards. EVgo ReNew comprises six core pillars that outline EVgo’s approach to reliability: prevention, diagnostics, rapid response, analysis, resilience, and continuous customer service. This effort includes ramping up in-person preventative health checks of chargers; improving system monitoring, diagnostic, and recovery tools; replacing legacy equipment; and retiring problematic chargers if replacement or upgrade is impractical. EVgo ReNew builds on EVgo’s existing charger maintenance efforts, which include 24/7 monitoring and preventative health checks at charging stations, as part of its commitment to industry-leading uptime. It also invested over $130 million over the first three quarters of 2022 to accelerate transportation electrification across the United States, including through investments in property, equipment, software, and construction.

• Ford has committed to installing at least one public-facing DC fast charger with two ports at 1,920 Ford dealerships by January 2024.

• Forum Mobility, a zero-emission trucking solutions provider, recently announced a $400-million commitment to deploy over 1,000 DC fast chargers. The charging infrastructure will serve the thousands of heavy-duty electric trucks projected to begin operating at the San Pedro and Oakland ports in California over the next decade. The community charging depots will create over 600 new union jobs in disadvantaged communities while reducing harmful emissions at the ports and along freight corridors.

• Francis Energy, a Tulsa, Oklahoma-based EV charge point operator, is expanding into 40 states in 2023, with plans to install 50,000 EV charging ports by 2030 in partnership with municipalities, auto dealers, tribal nations, and private businesses. Currently, 75% of Francis Energy’s network is in Justice40 communities.

• General Motors has announced a collaborative effort with dealers to install up to 40,000 public Level 2 EV chargers in local communities by 2026 through GM’s Dealer Community Charging Program; FLO will be the launch provider for this program. The new charging stations will join GM’s Ultium Charge 360 network and will be available to all EV drivers.

• Giant Food and Volta have partnered to install EV charging at over 40 locations in three states and Washington, D.C., with an additional 12 locations expected to be available soon.

• Hertz and BP are announcing their intention to build out a national network of EV fast charging infrastructure to accelerate the adoption of EVs. Hertz and BP intend to bring charging infrastructure to Hertz locations across America, including major cities such as Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Miami, New York City, Orlando, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. The charging hubs will serve rideshare and taxi drivers, car rental customers, and the general public at high-demand locations, such as airports. A number of installations are expected to include large-scale charging hubs, known as “gigahubs.” BP aims to invest $1 billion in EV charging in the United States by 2030. Hertz’s objective is to make one-quarter of its fleet electric by the end of 2024.

• Hertz is working in Denver to build a system and provide data that could help the city decide where more public EV chargers are needed the most and in what quantity. That is because the rental cars will be equipped with telematics systems, which collect and transmit GPS and a range of other data, so officials know where EVs are being driven. Hertz also plans to develop a pipeline of skilled workers for the industry, offering summer job opportunities through Denver’s Youth Employment Program and providing EVs, tools, and training to Montbello Career and Technical High School for students enrolled in its auto certificate program.

• Volta, a San Francisco-based charging company, will provide a media outlet for Kroger’s advertising clients on their stations’ large-format digital screens. Volta has rolled out a mix of DC fast and Level 2 Volta EV chargers at 16 Kroger stores in the Atlanta and Indianapolis areas.

• Meijer and EVgo developed a partnership in 2021 that expanded charging access across the Midwest, adding to EVgo's network of 850+ fast charging stations. Meijer customers have access to EVgo charging stations capable of 100- to 350-kW fast charging. In addition to providing accessible and conveniently located public fast charging stations, EVgo is managing the installation and ongoing operation and maintenance of the charging stations.

• Mercedes-Benz, ChargePoint, and MN8 Energy announced a partnership to deploy over 400 charging hubs with more than 2,500 publicly accessible DC fast charging ports across the United States and Canada.

• NATSO and ChargePoint announced a collaborative to leverage $1 billion in capital over the next decade to deploy charging at more than 4,000 travel plazas and fuel stops that serve highway travelers and rural communities.

• Pilot Company, General Motors, and EVgo have partnered to build a coast-to-coast network of 2,000 high-power 350-kW fast chargers at Pilot and Flying J travel centers along American highways. The nationwide network of up to 500 travel centers will enable long-distance EV travel by connecting urban and rural communities. The companies announced that the first 200+ chargers in this network are expected to be available for use by drivers in 2023.

• Revel announced it will be developing and opening five new EV fast charging “superhubs” across multiple New York City boroughs to add 136 public charging stalls. With these new facilities, Revel will operate roughly 80% of New York City’s public fast charging infrastructure. The largest of these new sites will feature 60 150-kW DC fast chargers and will be in Queens. The four other hubs will be in the Bronx (30 DC fast chargers), two in Brooklyn (16 and 20 DC fast chargers), and Manhattan (10 DC fast chargers).

• Stop & Shop planned to have more than 50 EV charging stations from Volta at stores across its Northeastern market by the end of 2021.

• Taco Bell franchisee Diversified Restaurant Group and ChargeNet Stations—which provides EV fast charging stations and software—will partner to make access to EV charging easy at these fast-food restaurant chains.

• Tesla, for the first time, will open a portion of its U.S. Supercharger and Destination Charging networks to other EVs, making at least 7,500 chargers available to all EVs by the end of 2024. The open chargers will be distributed across the United States. They will include at least 3,500 new and existing 250-kW Superchargers along highway corridors and in cities to expand freedom of travel for all EVs, and Level 2 Destination Charging at hotels, restaurants, and parking garages in urban and rural locations. Drivers will be able to access these open stations using the Tesla app or website. Additionally, Tesla will more than double its nationwide network of Superchargers by the end of 2024, which are all manufactured in Buffalo, New York.

• TravelCenters of America and Electrify America announced that they will offer EV charging at select Travel Centers of America and Petro locations, with a goal of installing approximately 1,000 EV chargers at 200 locations along major highways over the next five years.

• Wawa Inc. teamed with EVgo, a public fast charging network for EVs, to open the first live EVgo public fast charging station at a Wawa store in Philadelphia. The station powers four charging stalls via two 100-kW fast chargers and one 350-kW fast charger, capable of simultaneous charging.

Charger Construction Taking Off

On the manufacturing side, pledged investments will result in the construction of 1.4 million charger units and the creation of over 3,000 jobs by the year 2030. These include:

• ABB E-mobility recently commenced production of DC fast chargers from its new facility in Columbia, South Carolina. This $4-million investment follows previous commitments to add 125 jobs across its operations at its Sugarland, Texas, training center and southern California product development and research facility.

• ADS-TEC Energy, a German-based provider of battery-powered EV charging stations, will invest $8 million in building its first U.S. facility to perform assembly, sales, warehousing, and servicing in Auburn, Alabama. The facility is expected to create more than 180 jobs.

• Blink will expand its Bowie, Maryland, facility by 30,000 square feet, investing $49 million over 10 years and creating 60 new jobs to produce Level 2 chargers. Additionally, in 2023, Blink will announce a new 200,000-square-foot manufacturing plant for DC fast chargers, investing a total of $156 million over 10 years and creating 160 new jobs.

• ChargePoint is expanding its partnership with SMTC Corporation to expand DC fast charger production, establish a manufacturing line for Level 2 chargers at their Milpitas, California, facility, and create approximately 250 new manufacturing jobs. The expanded facility will be able to produce 10,000 DC fast chargers and 10,000 Level 2 chargers by 2026.

• EdgeEnergy will be investing $150 million in the Ohio economy to build three-phase power converters for DC fast chargers, adding 60 new manufacturing and engineering jobs over the next 24 months.

• Electrify America announced a new investment of $450 million into its charging network by Siemens, a global technology and electrification company, and Volkswagen Group. These investments will support the rapid deployment of up to 10,000 ultrafast chargers at 1,800 charging stations, in the United States and Canada by 2026.

• EVBox, a Netherlands-based EV charging manufacturer, announced plans for its first North American headquarters and production facility in Libertyville, Illinois. The 60,000-square-foot facility aims to produce around 200 DC fast chargers per week—a level of production expected to create between 80 and 120 new jobs in the immediate region.

• EverCharge, a provider of turnkey EV charging solutions, is opening a new 30,000-square-foot production factory in Hayward, California, and plans to double its factory workforce by mid-2023.

• FLO, a North American EV charging network operator and smart charging solutions provider, announced a $3-million investment in its first U.S. assembly facility located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. By 2028, the facility will help FLO bring 250,000 charging stations to American drivers, create and support upward of 730 jobs, and bolster Michigan’s economy by $76 million.

• FreeWire announced a new 66,000-square-foot global headquarters in Newark, California, a $20-million investment that will focus on research, development, and manufacturing of ultrafast EV charging equipment and more than 200 well-paying engineering and manufacturing jobs in electrification and clean energy across the community.

• Lincoln Electric, a long-time welding giant, has announced a new product line of DC fast chargers that leverages core manufacturing and engineering capabilities in power supply technology at its facility in Cleveland, Ohio.

• Rivian manufactures EVs and DC fast charging systems from its manufacturing plant in Normal, Illinois. Rivian designs, engineers, and manufactures its chargers in-house, with total product development and manufacturing investments set to exceed $50 million, including more than $20 million in new, upcoming investments.

• Siemens has expanded its EV charging manufacturing footprint with the recent selection of Carrollton, Texas, to serve as its second U.S. EV charger manufacturing hub. This announcement builds on the more than $140 million Siemens has newly invested across its electrical products manufacturing sites in Grand Prairie, Texas, and Pomona, California, that serve critical infrastructure markets and support union jobs. The new facility is expected to be fully operational in spring 2023. Siemens is also a partnering with the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP) by developing curriculum to ensure a skilled talent pipeline of American EV charger installation workers.

• SK Signet, a South Korean-based EV charging company specializing in ultrafast charging infrastructure, is building its first American manufacturing facility in Plano, Texas. By 2026, SK Signet expects to be producing up to 10,000 DC fast chargers annually and will support 183 highly skilled jobs.

• Tritium DCFC Limited, an Australian-based EV fast charger producer, held a grand opening for its first U.S.-based factory, located in Lebanon, Tennessee. The facility will produce up to 30,000 DC fast chargers per year at peak capacity. Tritium announced it will add more than 250 jobs to this facility, for a total of more than 750 cleantech jobs at the company’s Lebanon factory. Tritium is a participant in the White House Talent Pipeline Challenge, a nationwide initiative to create equitable job opportunities in growing industries.

• Wallbox, a Spanish-based provider of EV charging and energy management solutions worldwide, opened its first North American manufacturing facility in Arlington, Texas. The $70-million, 150,000-square-foot facility has the capacity to produce over 250,000 units in 2023 and over 1 million in 2030, including its next-gen Hypernova DC fast chargers. The facility will support 250 high-paying jobs by 2025 and 700 jobs by 2030.

Prioritizing Workforce Development and Education

The private sector is also stepping up to provide jobs and train the next-generation workforce in the electrified transportation sector. These companies are working to ensure EV chargers are well maintained:

• ChargerHelp! and SAE International’s Sustainable Mobility Solutions announced a partnership to assist in the EV charging workforce development for the next generation of certified electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) maintenance technicians. The EVSE Field Technician Program will certify skills needed by EVSE field technicians to diagnose, report, and help repair technical components of the charging equipment, including hardware and software issues. Within the next two years, this national program will help more than 3,000 trainees from low-income, disadvantaged, and typically underrepresented communities and those transitioning from other industries reach these technology-forward jobs.

• Mercedes-Benz USA and the U.S. Department of Labor announced a national partnership to create pathways for students from 16 to 24 years of age toward good-paying jobs as auto technicians, including potential employment with Mercedes-Benz. Job Corps will now offer students opportunities to study high-voltage and electric vehicles, as well as training opportunities with high-voltage vehicles at the following campuses: Earle C. Clements Job Corps in Morganfield, Kentucky; Westover Job Corps in Chicopee, Massachusetts; Edison Job Corps in Edison, New Jersey; and Clearfield Job Corps in Clearfield, Utah. The Job Corps network currently has 121 centers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

• Qmerit, a provider of distributed workforce management solutions for EV charging and other electrification technologies in North America, plans to perform over 120,000 EV and electrification jobs at residential and mid-market commercial properties in 2023. This expansion builds on the more than 250,000 Level 2 charging systems and hundreds of thousands of related electrification technologies that Qmerit has installed to date. In addition, Qmerit will facilitate access to EVITP training and certification for its network of over 12,000 electricians through the Qmerit Resource Center. This platform helps grow a diverse and climate-conscious workforce by connecting small- and medium-size electrical contractors, more than 15% of which are minority and disadvantaged businesses, with individuals looking to begin or repurpose their careers in the electric and EV sectors.

• Volkswagen announced a $20-million investment to prepare car dealers to sell EVs.

The Biden-Harris administration announced the release of the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization. Developed by the U.S. Departments of Energy (DOE), Transportation (DOT), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Blueprint is a landmark strategy for cutting all greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector by 2050.

Addressing the Climate Crisis through Transportation

The transportation sector—which includes all modes of travel through land, air, and sea to move people and goods—accounts for a third of all domestic greenhouse gas emissions, negatively affecting the health and wellbeing of millions of Americans, particularly those in disadvantaged communities.

The Blueprint exemplifies the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government approach to addressing the climate crisis and meeting President Biden’s goals of securing a 100% clean electrical grid by 2035 and reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The Blueprint builds on President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, which together represent historic investments in the future of the United States that will transform how people move and live while building the backbone of a safer and more sustainable transportation system.

How the Joint Office Is Supporting the Strategy

The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office) is putting the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization into action by working together with the DOE, DOT, and EPA to deploy a network of electric vehicle (EV) chargers, zero-emission fueling infrastructure, and zero-emission transit and school buses.

As part of the whole-of-government strategy, the Joint Office is excited to be a part of building an affordable, equitable, and sustainable 21st century transportation system. The Joint Office will be a key partner supporting this strategy through efforts including:

• Jumpstarting a national network of EV charging along U.S. highways and throughout communities.
• Offering technical assistance to states, school districts, transit agencies, and tribal nations on planning and implementation of a national network of zero-emission transportation infrastructure.
• Helping communities plan for investments in EV charging infrastructure and ensuring chargers are distributed equitably.

Resources

• U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization report
• Blueprint Fact Sheet
• Watch the announcement by federal agency leaders

The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office) recently updated its website, DriveElectric.gov, to include additional technical assistance resources and information for those interested in supporting a future where everyone can ride and drive electric.

The Joint Office site was reorganized to be more inclusive of additional Joint Office stakeholders by adding technical assistance resources for school districts, transit agencies, and tribal nations. There is also new content devoted to the Electric Vehicle Working Group, including the group's intended mission, objectives, and members.

Content updates were also based on feedback from Joint Office partners including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration.

New Technical Assistance Resources for Tribal Nations

As part of the updates to DriveElectric.gov, the Joint Office launched the “Technical Assistance and Resources for Tribal Nations” webpage for tribal nations navigating transportation electrification. This webpage was created in response to a need for a user-friendly information clearinghouse related to transportation electrification for tribal nations and communities.

The page hosts links and resources with general information including:

• Benefits of electric transportation
• Catalogue of applicable funding opportunities
• Examples of successful projects
• News and updates related to electric transportation for tribal nations.

The new resources page makes the vast array of information and funding opportunities more accessible, and in so doing, creates more awareness for and participation in cross-governmental efforts to make clean transportation more attainable for tribes.

The updated page also contains a contact form that tribal nations can use to request technical assistance in their efforts to electrify transportation. The Joint Office, in collaboration with partner agencies, will provide assistance navigating the vast landscape of federal funding opportunities and technical challenges of implementing electric vehicle infrastructure.

DriveElectric.gov: Your Source for Zero-Emission Transportation Infrastructure

DriveElectric.gov provides information for key stakeholders about the implementation of the Biden-Harris administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The BIL dedicated resources to the U.S. Departments of Energy and Transportation to support stakeholders that seek to deploy a network of electric vehicle chargers, zero-emission fueling infrastructure, and zero-emission transit and school buses.

Explore the updated DriveElectric.gov website and learn more about how the Joint Office supports a future where everyone can ride and drive electric.

The Biden-Harris Administration announced the Fiscal Year 2022 recipients of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean School Bus Program rebate competition, awarding nearly $1 billion from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to 389 school districts spanning 50 states, Washington, D.C., and several tribes and U.S. territories. The grants will help school districts purchase over 2,400 clean school buses that will accelerate the transition to zero emission vehicles and produce cleaner air in and around schools and communities.

Vice President Kamala Harris and EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan joined schoolchildren, district leaders and community members in Seattle, Washington, to make the announcement and highlighted how it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save schools money, and better protect children's health. The investment will also drive demand for American-made batteries and vehicles, boost domestic manufacturing, and create good-paying jobs.

“President Biden's historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is accelerating our nation's transition to electric and low-emission school buses while ensuring a brighter, healthier future for our children,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “As many as 25 million children rely on the bus to get to school each day. Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration, we are making an unprecedented investment in our children's health, especially those in communities overburdened by air pollution. This is just the beginning of our work to build a healthier future, reduce climate pollution, and ensure the clean, breathable air that all our children deserve.”

Those school districts who received an award can now proceed with purchasing new buses and eligible infrastructure. Selectees will need to submit Payment Request Forms with purchase orders demonstrating they have ordered new buses and eligible infrastructure. EPA is also partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Transportation to provide school districts with robust technical assistance to ensure effective implementation.

Technical Assistance for School Districts to Help Deploy Clean School Buses

The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office) offers technical assistance to school districts on electric bus basics, charging equipment, utility connections, bus performance, and operational considerations like routing and maintenance. Technical assistance offered through the Joint Office provides school districts with the knowledge, tools, and information needed to successfully plan for and deploy clean school buses.

Read the full news release and explore the technical assistance offered to school districts by the Joint Office.

The Biden-Harris administration today announced it has approved Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plans for all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico ahead of schedule under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, established and funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

With this approval, all states now have access to all FY22 and FY23 NEVI formula funding, totaling more than $1.5 billion to help build electric vehicle (EV) chargers across approximately 75,000 miles of highway throughout the country. The NEVI formula funding under the BIL, which makes $5 billion available over five years, will help build a convenient, reliable, and affordable EV charging network across the country.

“America led the original automotive revolution in the last century, and today, thanks to the historic resources in the president’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re poised to lead in the 21st century with electric vehicles,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “We have approved plans for all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia to help ensure that Americans in every part of the country—from the largest cities to the most rural communities—can be positioned to unlock the savings and benefits of electric vehicles.”

Thanks to flexibility provided by the BIL, state departments of transportation were able to leverage technical assistance available through the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation and begin staffing and activities directly related to the development of their plans prior to approval.

Now that EV charging plans from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico have been approved, each state, territory, or district can be reimbursed for those costs and now have a wide range of options to use their NEVI formula funding for projects directly related to the charging of a vehicle, including:

• Upgrade of existing and construction of new EV charging infrastructure
• Operation and maintenance costs of these charging stations
• Installation of on-site electrical service equipment
• Community and stakeholder engagement
• Workforce development activities
• EV charging station signage
• Data sharing activities
• Related mapping analysis and activities.

Read the full news release and explore the approved state plans.

The U.S. Departments of Energy (DOE) and Transportation (DOT) today announced that Gabe Klein—the former commissioner of the Chicago Department of Transportation and director of the Washington D.C. Departments of Transportation—will lead the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office), which was created by the President's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

As the first-ever Executive Director, Klein will oversee efforts to support the deployment of $7.5 billion to build a national electric vehicle (EV) charging network with a focus on filling gaps in rural and disadvantaged communities and hard-to-reach locations, as well as other vehicle electrification programs across the Departments.

Under Klein's leadership, the Joint Office will support states, cities, and local communities with implementing investments in zero-emission passenger, transit, and heavy-duty vehicles that support the Biden Administration's Justice40 Initiative goal of delivering 40% of the benefits from federal climate and clean energy investment to undeserved communities. These efforts will also support President Biden's national goal for half of all new United States passenger vehicle sales to be EVs by 2030.

Read the full press release to learn more about Gabe Klein's new role with the Joint Office.

The Biden-Harris Administration announced today that more than two-thirds of electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure deployment plans from states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have been approved ahead of schedule under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, established and funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). With this early approval, these states can now unlock more than $900 million in NEVI formula funding from fiscal year (FY) 2022 and FY 2023 to help build EV chargers across approximately 53,000 miles of highway across the country. The NEVI formula funding under the BIL, which makes $5 billion available over five years, will help build a convenient, reliable, and affordable EV charging network across the country. Faster adoption of EVs is a critical part of the nation’s climate goals as transportation currently accounts for more than a quarter of all emissions. Read the full news release and find approved state plans.

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced $1.66 billion in grants to transit agencies, territories, and states across the country for investments in 150 bus fleets and facilities. Funded by the President's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the majority of the funded projects will use zero-emissions technology. Five percent of the funding will go toward training transit workers to maintain and operate new clean bus technology. Entities currently receiving or planning to apply for funds via FTA’s Low- or No-Emission Vehicle Program, or other FTA programs, can contact the Joint Office for technical assistance to plan for and deploy clean transit buses.

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration announced that all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico submitted EV infrastructure deployment plans as required under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program established and funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The on-time submission of every single plan demonstrates the widespread commitment from states to build out EV charging infrastructure to help accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles, create good jobs, and combat the climate crisis. U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm joined the The Late Show to discuss the details.

The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation announced a $1.5 million award to the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) that will foster collaboration in the development and deployment of a national electric vehicle (EV) charging network that will benefit all Americans. The partnership will convene stakeholders across local, state, and federal government to ensure that EV charging station infrastructure investments are made in a strategic, coordinated, efficient, and equitable manner with public and private-sector partners.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced the sixth round of Alternative Fuel Corridor designations, which now include all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The latest round of designations supports the buildout of a national electric vehicle (EV) charging network and supports the Joint Office's technical assistance work with states to accelerate the availability of EV charging stations near national highways across the country. Visit the data and tools page to understand where electric vehicle charging infrastructure is installed and where existing corridors are designated.

Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on proposed minimum standards and requirements for projects funded under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program and projects for the construction of publicly accessible electric vehicle chargers funded under title 23, United States Code. FHWA also released additional resources to help states successfully complete their deployment plans and access NEVI Formula Program funding to build out a national network of electric vehicle chargers. These resources include new NEVI Formula Program Questions and Answers and an exception template to help states, particularly rural states, evaluate the best locations for charging stations when it may not be possible to provide charging stations at the required 50-mile intervals.

The Electric Vehicle Working Group (EVWG) was established on June 8, 2022. The activities of the EVWG include making recommendations regarding the development, adoption, and integration of light-, medium-, and heavy-duty electric vehicles into the transportation and energy systems of the United States; coordinating and consulting with any existing federal interagency working groups on fleet conversion or other similar matters relating to electric vehicles; and reporting to the Secretaries of Energy and Transportation. More information will be published next week on the formal member nomination process.

The first round of funding for the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean School Bus Program is now available. Beginning today, the Joint Office will offer technical assistance to school districts on electric bus basics, charging equipment, utility connections, bus performance, and operational considerations like routing and maintenance. Technical assistance offered through the Joint Office will provide school districts with the knowledge, tools, and information needed to successfully plan for and deploy clean school buses. In the future, DriveElectric.gov will host additional tools and resources in support of school bus electrification.

The Joint Office participated in a signing ceremony with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) for a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will enhance coordination between state energy offices and state departments of transportation. The MOU provides a framework for collaboration among national, regional, state, local, tribal, and private sector actors to build electric vehicle charging stations across the country.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) released guidance for state departments of transportation related to implementation of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program. The NEVI Formula Program will provide dedicated funding to states (appropriated by state) to strategically deploy EV charging infrastructure and establish an interconnected network to facilitate data collection, access, and reliability. DOT also published the Request for Nominations for the 6th round of alternative fuel corridor designations.

The U.S. Department of Transportation released a new, free resource to help rural communities across the country take full advantage of federal funding for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.

The guide, titled Charging Forward: A Toolkit for Planning and Funding Rural Electric Mobility Infrastructure, can help connect community members, towns, businesses, planning agencies, and others with partners needed for these projects.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg signed a memorandum of understanding to create the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to support the deployment of $7.5 billion from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to build out a national electric vehicle charging network that can build public confidence, with a focus on filling gaps in rural, disadvantaged, and hard-to-reach locations.