Applications Open for $1.3 Billion in Funding to Expand National Electric Vehicle Charging Network

The Biden-Harris Administration opened applications today for $1.3 billion funding opportunity for electric vehicle (EV) charging and alternative-fueling infrastructure in urban and rural communities and along designated highways, interstates, and major roadways.

This funding opportunity is made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s signature EV charging investments: the $2.5 billion Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program and funds from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program that are set aside for strategic grants to states and local governments to deploy EV chargers. Supported by guidance and technical assistance from the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office), the CFI program is administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and is open to state, regional, Tribal, and local government entities.

The previous round of CFI funding, released in January 2024, benefited 47 projects in 22 states and Puerto Rico, supporting construction of approximately 7,500 EV charging ports. Still, FHWA received applications for six times the amount of funding available. Today’s announcement reserves more than $520 million for some unselected first-round applicants who may be reconsidered for the current round of funding. FHWA will contact unselected round 1 applicants directly about this opportunity. Previous reliability funding awarded approximately $148.8 million in grant funding to 24 applicants to repair or replace broken or non-operational electric vehicle charging ports in 20 States and were awarded to 14 State Departments of Transportation and 10 local entities.

The CFI Program is divided into two distinct grant funding categories and requires that 50% of the funding over five years is made available for both Communities and Corridors:

• Community Charging and Fueling Grants: This program will strategically deploy publicly accessible EV charging infrastructure and hydrogen, propane, and natural gas fueling infrastructure in urban and rural communities.

• Alternative Fuel Corridor Grants: This program will strategically deploy publicly accessible EV charging infrastructure and hydrogen, propane, and natural gas fueling infrastructure along designated AFCs.

Eligible applicants include states, metropolitan planning organizations, local governments, port authorities, Indian Tribes, U.S. territories, and more. Projects for both categories are outlined in a Notice of Funding Opportunity published today. Applications are due in grants.gov by August 28, 2024. Previously unselected applicants will have the option to request via email by July 1, 2024 that FHWA reconsider previously submitted applications. 

The Joint Office and FHWA will host two public webinars in the coming weeks to provide more detail on this funding announcement:

• Webinar 1: Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Grant NOFO Overview

• Thursday, June 6, 2024, 2:00 - 3:30pm ET - Register Here

• Webinar 2: CFI NOFO Overview: Reconsideration of Round 1 Applications

• Tuesday, June 11, 2024, at 1:00- 1:30pm ET - Register Here

Visit FHWA’s CFI Discretionary Grant Program website to learn more.