Gas stations tell Florida to stop dawdling with $198M in federal EV charger funding
Florida will get $198 million of federal EV charger funding over five years, but Wawa, Buc-ee’s, Busy Bee, and others can’t access it because the state is slacking.
Florida won’t release federal EV charger funding
Florida is the largest state in the US that hasn’t released an application for EV charging operators to access millions in National Electric Vehicle Instructure (NEVI) funding. (It’s one of 14 laggard states.)
Yet Florida is No 2 in the US for having the most EVs.
While other states like Ohio, which is on its second round of applications, are celebrating the opening of its NEVI DC fast chargers, businesses along Florida’s interstates still can’t apply to participate in this program, which is part of the Biden administration’s 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Charge Ahead Partnership, a national coalition of businesses working to expand the US EV charging network – and in addition to the above gas station chains, also counts the Florida Petroleum Marketers Association and the Florida Retail Federation as members – released a statement that basically tells Florida to get its finger out so that the state’s gas stations and other businesses can access the federal NEVI grant-matching program to install EV chargers.
NEVI funding covers around 80% of the costs of the chargers, and the businesses pay the other 20%.
“Florida has countless businesses that would love to use NEVI funds to help build out the state’s EV charging infrastructure, the same way that businesses in other states are,” said Charge Ahead Partnership executive director Jay Smith. “It’s unfortunate that the state has still not issued an application for funds, while states like Ohio are opening NEVI-funded chargers.”
Electrek’s Take
There’s been a lot of media coverage that criticizes the NEVI program for being slow to roll out. The thing is, it’s ultimately the responsibility of states to roll out the NEVI program once they receive federal funds – and Florida has been sitting on its NEVI funds for almost two years. The Sunshine State can’t blame the Biden administration for its lack of action.
The state is responsible for getting this money to EV charging operators, but it’s not doing that. The Tampa Bay Times reported that “Michael Williams, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Transportation, did not respond to multiple emails asking why the state has not yet opened applications and its expected timeline for doing so.”
So Charge Ahead Partnership is holding Florida accountable by publicly calling for them to issue a NEVI application already. Good for them.
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Hyundai is about to launch a new electric SUV in China. With its big debut coming up, Hyundai just dropped a sneak peek, and it looks like it could be the IONIQ 4. Check it out for yourself in the video below.
Is Hyundai teasing the IONIQ 4?
We caught our first glimpse of the new EV model last month after Beijing Hyundai released a few official “spy” photos.
Despite the camouflage, you can see a few design elements, like a light bar across the front, slim LED headlights, and a closed-off grille. At first, it almost looks like a smaller version of the IONIQ 9, Hyundai’s first three-row electric SUV, but with a much sportier, shaped profile.
Beijing Hyundai released a new teaser for the upcoming electric SUV this week. The video shows “a wave of high-end operations” as the vehicle dances across the snow.
The video highlights features like real-time torque control, high-speed cornering, and the SUV’s impressive body control while driving around cones.
Hyundai’s new electric SUV is being called “OE” internally, according to The Korean Car Blog, suggesting it could be an IONIQ model.
All other Hyundai IONIQ EV models were also codenamed with an “E” internally, which is raising speculation that this could be the IONIQ 4.
Like most global OEMs, Hyundai is fighting to compete in an intense Chinese EV market, which is dominated by domestic automakers like BYD.
Hyundai opened its first overseas R&D center last year in China to spearhead its comeback. It will work with local suppliers and tech companies to develop EVs designed for Chinese buyers. The new electric SUV is expected to launch in China later this year, followed by three new energy vehicles, including EVs and EREVs.
Beijing Hyundai will release more information on April 16, with the electric SUV set to “challenge the limit of driving performance.”
What do you think of Hyundai’s new electric SUV? Is this the IONIQ 4? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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Charge point provider char.gy has secured a £130 million contract to install 6,000 curbside EV chargers for Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) – the UK’s largest installation of its kind.
London-based char.gy has also been awarded a 15-year contract to operate and maintain the charging network.
Installing Level 2 chargers curbside, where most drivers in the UK park, will enable more people to take advantage of cheaper charging rates while juicing up their EVs overnight. (charg.gy’s pay as you go night tariff, between midnight and 7 am, is £0.39/kWh, compared to its £0.59/kWh day tariff.)
John Lewis, chief executive of char.gy, said the project is “a huge moment for the UK and its EV ambitions. This partnership alone will empower thousands of residents to confidently make the switch to electric vehicles, knowing they have easy access to chargers.”
Brighton and Hove City Council is among the first to tap into the government’s Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, designed to help English local authorities roll out charging solutions for residents without off-street parking. Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood said making EV charging as accessible as possible is “crucial to making the switch to electric a success.”
The UK now has over 75,000 public EV chargers, according to the Department for Transport—and it looks like the country’s on pace to hit its 2030 target. Back in December, the National Audit Office said the rollout is “on track” to meet the DfT’s estimate that at least 300,000 chargers will be needed by the end of the decade.
Read more: Meet the UK’s largest solar + storage EV charging ‘Superhub’
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