Rhode Island beats other states in reaching ‘built-out’ EV charger milestone

By James Bikales | 07/19/2024 06:46 AM EDT

While Rhode Island’s highway network is small, it marks a significant milestone for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, which has been beset by delays and faced bipartisan criticism for its slow rollout.

Liam Sawyer, of Indianapolis, touches the screen as he charges his 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E.

A designation allows Rhode Island to spend the rest of its National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure funds — estimated by the Joint Office at more than $22 million — to build chargers, including lower-speed chargers, at other locations of its choosing. Joshua Bickel/AP

Rhode Island on Wednesday became the first state to achieve “built-out” status under the federal government’s $5 billion program to construct electric vehicle chargers along interstate highways.

The state opened four new high-speed chargers at two park-and-rides along I-95 on Wednesday, funded by the bipartisan infrastructure law. With those chargers, the federal Joint Office of Energy and Transportation certified Rhode Island as the first state to meet the Biden administration’s minimum standards for the charging necessary to serve EV drivers along its major corridors.

While Rhode Island’s highway network is small, it marks a significant milestone for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, which has been beset by delays and faced bipartisan criticism for its slow rollout, including from GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.

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The designation allows Rhode Island to spend the rest of its NEVI funds — estimated by the Joint Office at more than $22 million — to build chargers, including lower-speed chargers, at other locations of its choosing.

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