Public sector fleet managers looking for funding opportunities for electric vehicle charging infrastructure can apply for aid to assist with charging stations in urban and rural communities and along designated highways, interstates, and major roadways.

The U.S. Department of Energy announced the latest round of funding. It's important to note that the funding is only for public-facing charging stations, so fleet managers seeking to take advantage of the funding would need to make the chargers available to the public in addition to their fleets. 

The Basics of the Funding Programs

This funding comes from two portions of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: the $2.5 billion Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program, and the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program.

NEVI funds are set aside for strategic grants to states and local governments to deploy EV chargers. The CFI program is administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and is open to state, regional, Tribal, and local government entities.  

CFI also allows applicants not eligible for NEVI to get needed funding, and the grant money helps support zero-emission freight infrastructure.

Funds will go toward the deployment of a network of Level 2 and DC fast EV chargers, part of President Joe Biden's goal to build a national network of 500,000 public EV charging stations and halving national greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. 

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. 

Who's Eligible for Funding and Dates to Remember

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 (NOFO).

The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation 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

Webinar 2:CFI NOFO Overview: Reconsideration of Round 1 Applications 
Tuesday, June 11, 2024, at 1:00- 1:30pm ET

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 previous round of CFI funding, released in January 2024, benefited 47 projects in 22 states and Puerto Rico, supporting the construction of approximately 7,500 EV charging ports.

FHWA received applications for six times the amount of funding available. The latest 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 the opportunity.