The road to a greener future is being paved, one electric vehicle (EV) charging station at a time, with North Carolina taking a significant stride in the expansion of its network. The N.C. Department of Transportation has unfurled a map signaling the proposed sites for a fresh fleet of charging stations, courtesy of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program. This revelation assists interested parties in tapping into the federal NEVI funds the state has corralled for crafting and nurturing a robust grid of electric car charging oases.
“This is one more step we’re taking toward a clean transportation future,” pronounced Paula Hemmer, NCDOT's Statewide Initiatives senior engineer, in a statement obtained by the NCDOT Newsroom. The maps lay out the terrain for developers to strategically entrench EV charging depots, bridging critical chasms in coverage that could otherwise leave EV owners mired in anxiety over their car's next gulp of electrons. This cartographic dispatch trails the department's inaugural map by a year, mapping the groundwork for the first request for proposals which saw the day of light, some three months prior.
With foresight geared towards the turn of the year, these blueprints flag the location of 41 additional EV clusters to be ensconced along North Carolina's highways and interstates. While a majority, 36 clusters, will crop up in Eastern North Carolina, an allotment of five is designated for the Western portion—a region still recuperating from Hurricane Helene's wrath. Acknowledgment of the hurricane's impact is evident, as developers in these Western communities are granted a grace period to proposition their interest in the project.
The layering of this EV infrastructure is cataloged under Phase 1 of the roll-out plan, with a commitment to peppering the landscape with charging sanctuaries every 50 miles along federally approved alt-fuel lanes, ensuring they lie within a mile of the roadway. "NEVI requires EV charging stations in the first phase to be installed every 50 miles along the federally approved alternative fuel corridors," according to NCDOT. The specially curated stations will be capable of resuscitating vehicles in about 20 minutes, with NEVI funds reimbursing the costs involved in their acquisition, installation, and ongoing operation.
The recently published map earmarks 41 areas that will bolster the existing web of EV charging stations along prominent thoroughfares including I-26, I-40, and U.S. 64, to name a few. This infusion of infrastructure is part of a broader, seven-year initiative, fueled by $109 million from the NEVI program kitty, to electrify North Carolina's highways and byways. Color in Phase 2 of this ambitious project, which will see chargers embedded in communal areas, marrying the rapidity of DC Fast Chargers with the endurance of Level 2 Chargers, designed for a more leisurely recharge.
The second request for proposals, a harbinger of more electrified pavement to come, is slated for early 2025. As the infrastructure takes shape, the Tar Heel State drives steadily on the highway to sustainability, charging towards a cleaner transport horizon, one EV at a time. For those wanting to plug into the details, the full map is available on the NCDOT's website at NCDOT Newsroom.
