The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) says the state has received over $25.9 million from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program to fund the construction of privately owned and operated charging stations.
NORTH DAKOTA (KXNET) — The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) says the state has received over $25.9 million from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program to fund the construction of privately owned and operated charging stations.
The new stations will have at least four direct current chargers, that provide 150 kilowatts of electricity and can charge an electric vehicle (EV) in 15 to 30 minutes.
Russ Buchholz, the NDDOT Innovations and Facilities Manager, says the faster EV charging stations will be necessary for drivers who don’t have time to sit and wait for hours while traveling long distances.
Plans are to install them close to I-94 and I-29, but it will take several years to complete as areas will have to be designated, paved, and then the chargers must be hooked up to a nearby power source.
As for finding electricity to power the chargers, Buchholz said, “We’ve reached out to MDU, Otter Tail, Excell, and also our rural electric companies. Right now, we really don’t see that being an issue in our state.”
According to Buchholz, part of the funding from the program will also be used to maintain the charging station sites for five years after they are up and running.
Although the majority of vehicles on our highways are still fuel-powered, Buchholz says that the state now has the money to fund construction of the charging stations and he expects demand for electric vehicles will continue to grow.
“With that, how long do you wait? What’s a good time frame? These are national funds and if we didn’t use them, the other states would. This opportunity doesn’t really come around that often,” said Buchholz.
Buchholz adds that NDDOT is currently accepting applications for the privately owned and operated EV charging stations.
Applications are due on August 9, 2024, and will be reviewed and evaluated before selections are made later this year.
He says they hope to break ground on building the first EV charging station sometime in early 2025.