Tritium Is Now Offering NEVI-Compliant EV Charging Stations

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The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill of 2022, provides funding to states for the development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The program requires that EV charging stations must be non-proprietary, allow for open-access payment methods, and be publicly available. Additionally, the program sets minimum standards and requirements for projects funded under NEVI Formula Program. This includes requirements that EV charging equipment must meet in order to be eligible for funding.

In order to access NEVI formula program funding, states were required to submit a National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) by August 1, 2022. The plans also had to meet the requirements of the Build America, Buy America Act in order to receive funding from the $7.5 billion allocated over five years through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

For plans to be approved, they had to fit the following requirements:

• Stations no more than 50 miles apart (unless a waiver was needed)
• Four 150 kW stations
• Enough power for these four stations (600 kW) available at the site

With these requirements, many of the charging stations that manufacturers make aren’t compatible. If a station could only deliver 50 kW, it’s definitely not something states can spend money on (directly or through contractors, etc). While there are a number of manufacturers producing stations that would meet the requirements, not everybody was ready to make money providing stations for the states after their plans were approved. So, if a manufacturer wasn’t providing 150+ kW stations, they needed to get new products going.

Tritium was one of those manufacturers, but the good news is that it was able to get a new station design into manufacturing pretty quickly. The company recently announced that it is now accepting orders for its first product offering under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program. The charging system consists of four Tritium PKM150 charging stations, capable of delivering up to 150kW of power, and two power rectifiers, which convert AC power to DC power. This combination of charging stations and power rectifiers will enable high-speed charging and support the growing demand for public charging infrastructure in the United States.

“The NEVI program has opened up an unprecedented opportunity to advance the e-mobility transition in the United States, leading to a manufacturing boom in the country,” said Tritium CEO Jane Hunter. “As we continue to scale production at our Tennessee facility, Tritium is proud to deliver a product that allows states to put these funds to use and provide U.S. drivers with the EV infrastructure they need. As the demand for reliable and accessible fast charging continues to grow across the country, Tritium will remain an industry leader, providing innovative and effective product solutions.”

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approved the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plans submitted by all 50 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico, granting them access to funding from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program in fiscal years 2022 and 2023.

Several states, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Alaska, and Hawaii, have already started allocating their first rounds of funding towards EV charging infrastructure projects. It’s expected that most other states will provide access to NEVI funding in 2023. The initial round of funding is set to exceed $1.5 billion, which will go towards building an extensive network of EV charging stations along approximately 75,000 miles of the federal highway system across the United States.

So, Tritium has now tapped itself into a lot of potential business.

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Tritium also recently welcomed White House Senior Advisor and Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu to its Tennessee facility recently. During the visit, Mr. Landrieu was given a tour of Tritium’s factory and participated in a roundtable discussion with Tritium leadership and local state officials.

The discussion centered around topics such as workforce development, Middle Tennessee’s e-mobility sector, and the transformative potential of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Furthermore, they discussed the NEVI program’s role in creating manufacturing opportunities across the United States, including for companies like Tritium.

Tritium’s first product under the NEVI program is anticipated to satisfy the FHWA’s Build America, Buy America Act waiver milestones, which were announced earlier this year. The waiver includes two phases, the first of which requires manufacturers to conduct all final assembly and manufacturing processes for any iron or steel charger enclosures or housings within the United States, starting March 23, 2023. Additionally, by July 2024, manufacturers must source at least 55% of the cost of components used in charging equipment domestically.

“Tritium’s first NEVI-compliant product is a testament to our dedication to delivering comprehensive solutions for our U.S. customers,” said Mike Calise, Tritium President of the Americas. “Our new charging system is designed to achieve NEVI program requirements, demonstrating our commitment to advancing the U.S. e-mobility transition and helping charging site operators meet the NEVI program’s 97% uptime requirement. As the industry continues to grow, Tritium is proud to lead the way with cutting-edge products and unparalleled customer service.”

With its new products set to enter the market, Tritium is poised to expand its offerings to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law programs, including the NEVI program and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) discretionary grant program. The company is well-positioned to provide EV charging solutions that are reliable, efficient, and in line with the evolving needs of the EV market.

This Story Shows Us Another Benefit of the Infrastructure Bill

While the big story of the NEVI program is that it will greatly expand charging infrastructure in the United States, another side story comes from getting there. To satisfy demand, more companies had to enter the business, improve their product offerings, and increase their manufacturing capacity.

The Infrastructure Bill’s stations really aren’t enough to satisfy all future EV demand, only serving as a good start that covers the basics. Getting the manufacturing capacity built up and ready to satisfy the program also gets it ready for the future as EV station manufacturing expands further and more stations get built later.

So, we’re seeing an extra benefit from the bill that will not only deliver in the short term, but also deliver in the long run.

Featured image provided by Tritium