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The Minnesota Department of Transportation has opened the application process for private and public entities to tap into federal funds to own and operate electric vehicle charging stations. The funds are a part of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, a federal program enacted in 2021 as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). They are intended to build a convenient, affordable, reliable and equitable national network of EV chargers.

Successful applicants will be required to enter into a contract with MnDOT. The project team must include an experienced charging network provider and an entity with ownership or lease of the property through the five-year operations and maintenance period.

In Minnesota, the first round of NEVI funds will be used to build 18 fast charging stations along the Alternative Fuel Corridors designated by the federal government – Interstate 94 and I-35. MnDOT will select projects along those corridors, which can be found on the online mapping tool.

The first round of NEVI funding includes requirements that stations:

• Are located no more than 50 miles apart along the AFC.
• Are located less than one mile driving distance from the AFC exit.
• Have a minimum of four 150 kW charging ports able to operate simultaneously.
• Are open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week with no entry fee to access the chargers.

“We are excited to offer this opportunity to build partnerships that will grow the fast-charging network in Minnesota,” said Beth Kallestad, MnDOT principal sustainability planner. “We have spent months listening to Minnesotans explain what they would like in terms of experience and amenities when they charge their electric vehicle. We plan to take those ideas into consideration during the selection process.”

Application instructions can be found on the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program in Minnesota webpage – www.mndot.gov/nevi/