California Awards $32 Million in Federal Funding to Deploy Over 450 Fast Chargers Along Interstates & Highways 

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: California awarded over $32 million in federal funds for electric vehicle (EV) charging projects along the state’s busiest transportation corridors, expanding the largest EV charging network in the country and continuing the state’s commitment to building a bigger, better charging network.

SACRAMENTO — Today, the California Energy Commission (CEC) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) took a major step in rapidly deploying electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure by awarding over $32 million in federal funds to install, operate and maintain 458 direct-current fast chargers (DCFC) along interstates and highways across the state.

The funds come from the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, which is part of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that President Biden signed into law in November 2021. California expects to receive a total of $384 million for the program over the next several years.

“California continues to be a leader in the sustainable revolution with this milestone investment to install over 500 EV chargers with $32 million in federal NEVI funding,” said Acting Federal Highway Administrator Kristin White. “Thanks to the historic investments from the Biden-Harris Administration, California is helping to lead the nation in deploying clean energy infrastructure, expanding access to EV charging, and meeting our carbon reduction goals.”

Including projects expected to be approved before the end of the year, CEC proposed awards total $37.7 million, which will leverage an additional $53.2 million in private matching funds — nearly three times the minimum required by the NEVI program. These awards will result in the deployment of over 500 new charging ports across 70 sites, representing an 85 percent increase over the number of charging ports originally expected from the state’s first NEVI solicitation, and nearly double the stations required by federal standards.

“California is building a transportation network for the 21st century, and this federal funding helps support that commitment,” said Caltrans Director Tony Tavares. “Increasing the accessibility of EV charging stations will be a major boost to achieving the state’s climate action goals.”

“We’d like to thank the Biden-Harris administration for their commitment to eliminating harmful emissions not only in California but across the country,” said CEC Commissioner Patty Monahan. “With this round of awards, the state exceeded the federal requirement for private investment by nearly threefold, significantly increasing the number of chargers funded per federal dollar. This is further proof that California is all in on zero-emission transportation.”

More Reliable & Accessible Charging

California is working harder than ever to improve the EV driver experience in the Golden State. Programs like NEVI and the CEC’s Clean Transportation Program help establish strong incentives for EV service providers to build out charging infrastructure throughout California.

Nine projects were awarded $32,722,295 in the first round of NEVI formula funding at the CEC’s September 11 business meeting. Nearly $5 million more is expected to be approved before the end of the year.

The projects approved include:

NEVI funds must be used initially on federally designated Alternative Fuel Corridors.

View the map of California’s Alternative Fuel Corridors here. Each NEVI-funded DCFC station will have a minimum of four 150 kilowatt (kW) Combined Charging System connectors and a minimum total station power of 600 kW. Stations will be located no more than 50 miles apart along freeways and highways and no more than one mile from a freeway exit or highway roadway. States are required to emphasize equity, with at least 40 percent of NEVI benefits going to disadvantaged, low-income, rural and tribal communities.

Caltrans is the designated lead agency for NEVI and the CEC is their designated state energy partner administering the funds. Caltrans and the CEC partnered to create California’s Deployment Plan for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program, which details how California plans to allocate its $384 million share of federal NEVI funds to build out a network of modern, high-powered DCFCs along federally designated Alternative Fuel Corridors throughout California.

California’s ZEV Record 

California’s ZEV record speaks for itself. Since Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order in 2020 calling for a rule to require all new car sales to be zero-emission by 2035, ZEV sales have risen dramatically.

• 25.7 percent of all new cars sold in California in Q2 of 2024 were ZEVs, according to the CEC

• 118,181 ZEV sales in Q2 of 2024, an average of 1,300 sold each day

• 1,996,931 total ZEV sales to date

• 34 percent of new ZEVs sold in the U.S. are sold in California, according to the California Air Resources Board

• 60 ZEV and ZEV-related manufacturers are operating in California — leading the nation in ZEV manufacturing jobs

• Thousands of dollars in grants and rebates available for low-income Californians. Learn more at ClimateAction.ca.gov or ElectricForAll.org

About the California Energy Commission   

The California Energy Commission is the state’s primary energy policy and planning agency. It has seven core responsibilities: advancing state energy policy, encouraging energy efficiency, certifying thermal power plants, investing in energy innovation, developing renewable energy, transforming transportation, and preparing for energy emergencies. 

About Caltrans 

Learn more about projects that are building California’s climate-friendly future by visiting build.ca.gov and RebuildingCA.ca.gov. 

Courtesy of Energy.ca.gov