Kansas announces its first NEVI EV charging station locations

Biden’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program awarded Kansas $39.5 million to open EV charging stations – and the state just funded its first six.

NEVI EV charging stations in Kansas

Governor Laura Kelly (D-KS) announced today that more than $4.6 million in federal funds will be spent on six locations selected for Kansas’s NEVI Formula program. 

The chosen locations will fill gaps in EV charging stations along the state’s major highways and interstate system. It’s another step forward in the NEVI program’s allocated $5 billion over five years to help US states create a network of EV charging stations along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds the program.

The six Kansas locations where DC fast chargers will be installed are:

• Emporia, Flying J, 4215 W Hwy 50 (I-35) 
• Garden City, Love’s, 3285 E US 50 (US 400) 
• Cherokee, Pete’s, 20 US 400  
• Fredonia, Pete’s, 2400 E Washington St. (US 400) 
• Belleville, Love’s, 1356 US Highway 81 (US 81) 
• Pratt, Casey’s, 1900 E 1st St (US 400) 

The NEVI Formula program funds require EV charging stations to be available every 50 miles and within one travel mile of the Alternative Fuel Corridor. EV charging stations must include at least four ports with connectors capable of simultaneously charging four EVs at 150 kilowatts (kW) each, with a total station power capacity of 600 kW or more.

The charging stations must have 24-hour public accessibility and provide such amenities as restrooms, food and beverage, and shelter.

Electrek’s Take

Rollout of the program, announced in February 2022, has been slow, with Ohio breaking ground on the US’s first NEVI-funded charger in October, with Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Maine soon to follow.

That’s mainly because the vast program is unprecedented. Most state offices have yet to experience rolling out an EV charging network. And the EV charging companies must ensure that their US-made EV chargers work 97% of the time – a NEVI Formula program requirement everyone will appreciate in the long run.

The Biden administration is streamlining federal permitting for EV chargers and providing technical assistance to states and companies. The momentum is slow now, but once the cogs start to turn, it will speed up. EV drivers want this network asap, but ultimately, doing it right is the most important thing.

Read more: A new wind farm in Kansas trailblazes with light-mitigating technology

Photo: Flying J

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