North Carolina proposes sites for electric vehicle charging stations

The North Carolina Department of Transportation has released a map of 11 proposed sites for electric vehicle charging stations funded through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program.

Locations where fewer electric vehicle charging stations currently exist and that serve urban as well as rural areas were chosen, North Carolina officials said.

The purpose of the map is to provide parties time to apply for federal funds to build and operate an electric vehicle charging station in these areas as part of the first phase of the plan.

NCDOT anticipates issuing a request for proposals from those applying for funds in February.

“The build-out of the electric vehicle charging stations will help our state advance clean transportation and be a great economic opportunity for businesses of all sizes,” Paula Hemmer, statewide initiative senior engineer for NCDOT, said in a statement. “There are a lot of things to consider, like whether a site is easily accessible to all travelers and a site’s proximity to amenities like restaurants and hotels.”

Through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program, the NCDOT received $109 million to develop an electric vehicle charging network along interstates and major highways.

Those funds will be used to reimburse businesses for procurement, installation and operation of the charging stations.

The first phase of this project includes the installation of DC fast chargers along the alternative fuel corridor designated by the Federal Highway Administration. Those chargers have the ability to charge an electric vehicle in approximately 20 minutes.

As specified by the bipartisan infrastructure law, the first-phase charging stations will be:

• Located every 50 miles along the alternative fuel corridor
• 1 mile or less from an alternative fuel corridor
• Capable of providing 150 kilowatts of direct current to four vehicles simultaneously
• Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week
• Installed to comply with local permitting and zoning requirements

As part of the second phase, “community-based” DC fast chargers will be added, along with Level 2 chargers that can charge an electric vehicle in four to eight hours.

NCDOT expects the complete build-out of North Carolina’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure to be completed within the next seven years.

The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program will provide nearly $5 billion through June 2027 to create a network of 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations nationwide.

More information on the NEVI program is available here. LL

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