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Ground “Re-Breaking” Kicks Off the Start of Projects to Repair and Upgrade EV Charging Stations Nationwide

Aug. 22, 2024

Groundbreaking ceremony at first EV-RAA funded EV charging station
Photo from District Department of Transportation

The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office) celebrates the groundbreaking of the nation’s first Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility (EVC-RAA) funded electric vehicle (EV) charging project in Washington, D.C. The currently inoperable station will receive upgraded infrastructure and expanded charging capacity at faster speeds. The station location is adjacent to a variety of amenities, including a convenience store, a riverfront park, trails, and a Capital Bikeshare station.

The EVC-RAA grant program has made nearly $150 million available for American communities to repair roughly 4,500 existing EV charging ports as part of a Biden-Harris Administration goal of having 500,000 public EV chargers in the ground and operating by 2030. The current charger in Washington, D.C., has the capacity to charge a single vehicle at a maximum of 50 kilowatts (kW). The upgraded charging station will have the capacity to charge four vehicles simultaneously at a minimum of 150 kW each using either a Combined Charging System 1 or J3400 connector. These expanded connector options and increased power will create a more reliable and accessible charging experience for users.

“Having convenient, reliable chargers in the heart of Washington, D.C., will make it easier for residents, tourists, and visitors to drive electric,” said Gabe Klein, executive director of the Joint Office. “These upgraded chargers offer faster speeds, serve more drivers, and are part of a wave of projects creating good jobs across the country. Today’s historic groundbreaking marks another step forward on our journey to creating clean mobility options for all Americans.”

EVC-RAA grants are designated for locations with a broken or non-operational publicly available charger. The new and improved fast-charging ports in D.C. can triple the speed of charging compared to the previous output.

This effort is funded by the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, created as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to help states build convenient, safe, and dependable EV charging infrastructure across the nation. The Joint Office is working with all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico to ensure the success of the NEVI program, which is now bringing the Biden-Harris Administration’s vision of a clean energy future to fruition.