What is NEVI?
You may qualify for NEVI funds for DC fast charging.
Aloha Charge & Tritium to Provide All the DC Fast Chargers for First Phase of the Hawai’i NEVI Program.
Aloha Charge, a National Car Charging company based in Honolulu, announced on July 11, 2023 that it will be providing all the DC fast charging hardware and software for the first round of the State of Hawai’i’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program funding.
In September 2022, the Federal Highway Administration approved Hawai’i’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan, granting the state access to $2.6 million in FY2022 NEVI funding. As part of their plan, Hawai’i Department of Transportation (HDOT) is utilizing its existing contract with Sustainability Partners, a public benefit company established to advance infrastructure for durable entities, to implement NEVI deployment in the state.
HDOT is using their initial round of NEVI funding to procure eight Tritium NEVI systems, totaling 32 PKM150 (150kW) chargers and 16 power units, all networked with software from EV Connect. The chargers were procured for HDOT by Sustainability Partners from Aloha Charge. These fast chargers are expected to be among the first funded and installed under the NEVI Program.
“Hawai’i is deeply committed to delivering on its sustainability goals and the transition to electric vehicles is a big part of that,” stated Jim Burness, Founder & CEO of Aloha Charge. “These Tritium DC chargers will not only help the state achieve these goals faster, but also make charging more accessible for everyone in the community. Aloha Charge is extremely proud of this work with our partners at HDOT, Tritium, and Sustainability Partners.”
Discover the NEVI Program.
The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program is part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) passed by the U.S. Congress in 2022. It’s legislation designed to accelerate the equitable adoption of electric vehicles by advancing the build out of EV charging infrastructure and provides $7.5 billion for these EV charging projects. The funds break down into two buckets - $5 billion for nationwide funding and $2.5 billion for corridor and community charging grants.
NEVI is part of the U.S. strategy to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050.
Understanding the NEVI funding requirements.
NEVI was designed to deliver convenient, reliable, affordable and equitable DC charging for EV drivers. This funding will cover up to 80% of project costs, if you meet the following qualifications:
Be within 1 mile of established alternative fuel corridors (AFCs)
Accommodate the power requirements for DC solutions
Be able to charge four vehicles at 150 kW at the same time
Cover remaining total project costs
There are no restrictions on the type of businesses that apply for the funds. Hotels, motels, restaurants, gas stations, business parks, shopping malls and so on are all eligible as long as they meet the four measures above.
What do the NEVI funds cover?
The funding covers most of the installation costs including the “make-ready” work like utility upgrades, running wiring, and related construction. It can also cover a portion of the cost of EV charging hardware and management software.
What type of businesses should apply for NEVI funding?
NEVI funding is open to any and all types of businesses; however, having a large parking lot, good lighting, and easy access to services EV drivers desire are a bonus.
EV drivers and travelers enjoy many of the same conveniences as gas and diesel drivers; therefore, the ideal businesses are those with food services, bathrooms, and other traveling amenities, similar to gas stations and travel plazas.
Hotels, motels, restaurants, gas stations, c-stores, shopping malls, RV parks, campgrounds, etc., are all eligible as long as they are with a mile of established alternative fuel corridors, can accommodate the power requirements for DC fast charging, can charge four vehicles at 150 kW at the same time and can financially cover the balance of the project costs beyond the NEVI funds.
Why add EV charging?
EV adoption is growing fast - in fact, in 2022 the sale of gas (ICE or internal combustion engine) cars declined while electric vehicle sales sky rocketed past the 5% tipping point. The NEVI Program provides an unprecedented opportunity to get funding to add DC fast charging without deeply impacting your bottom line.
Plus, it allows your business to:
Attract new customers to your business.
Strengthen existing customer relationships.
Create a new source of revenue.
Support sustainability goals.
Showcase your business as a green brand.
Gain the ‘first mover advantage’ and foster driver loyalty.
What else do you need to know?
Additional state requirements.
Each individual state is responsible for distributing the dollars they’re allotted and as such, each state can layer on its own requirements in addition to the federal minimum standards.
Funding timing and availability.
Each state’s piece of the pie is determined by an intricate formula based on numerous factors including, but not limited to, the number of highways and miles those roadways contain. Likewise, the availability of those funds also varies by state.
Additional incentives.
In addition to federal NEVI Program funds, individual states may offer their own incentives. The federal government is also finalizing the details of what’s known as the 30C tax credit for EV charging, which can provide up to 30% tax credit for the costs of installing EV charging.
Lean on Aloha Charge.
Our team is fully versed in the NEVI Program and has access to tools to help you find all the different incentive and grant programs available to make your transition to EV charging an easy and smooth one.
What hardware qualifies for NEVI?
Domestic assembly requirements for electric vehicle charging equipment will be effective immediately. This ensures that all electric vehicle charging equipment supported by federal funds supports American jobs and American technological leadership. ChargePoint, Kempower and Tritium have American produced DC fast chargers.
Here are the parameters:
Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Build America, Buy America requirements will be effective immediately for EV charger enclosures and housing predominantly of steel or iron. This means that all manufacturing processes for these enclosures, from melting and pouring through the final application of coatings, must occur in the United States.
Beginning July 1, 2024, FHWA will require that the cost of components manufactured domestically for EV charging equipment must meet the Build America, Buy America Act’s requirement of at least 55 percent domestic content for manufactured products, consistent with an ambitious build out of this new industry.
In order to ensure that chargers installed during the bulk of the NEVI Program are fully compliant with the requirement under the Build America, Buy America Act of 55 percent domestic content, any equipment that does not meet that standard must be installed no later than October 1, 2024.
Discover the complete DC fast charging platform for any retail fueling location.
Watch our NEVI webinar with the White House & the Joint Office of Energy & Transportation.
Got Questions about NEVI?
Call us at (808) 450-2221 today!
The Aloha Charge team of experts are fully versed in everything NEVI and we have the tools to help you discover all of the different incentive and grant programs available, so that you can rest easy and cost effectively install EV charging!
