The DOT’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has announced the latest round of Alternative Fuel Corridor designations. Under the new National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program established by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, funding will be directed to designated EV Alternative Fuel Corridors to serve as the backbone for the national EV charging network.

The sixth round of Alternative Fuel Corridor designations added more new miles of corridors than any other round since the initiation of the program in 2016. FHWA announced a total of approximately 250 new designations nationwide based on nominations by state and local officials. Highways were evaluated according to predetermined criteria, and designated “corridor-ready” if they currently contain a sufficient number of alternative fueling facilities, or “corridor-pending” if not.

Alternative Fuel Corridor designations are now found in all 50 states, as well as Washington DC and Puerto Rico. The designations now cover 190,000 of the 222,000 miles of the National Highway System, which carries 55 percent of vehicle miles traveled nationally.

“These Alternative Fuel Corridor designations will bring EV charging stations to more locations nationwide,” said Deputy Federal Highway Administrator Stephanie Pollack. “Having a national EV charging network is key to our transition to electric and alternative fuel vehicles, which in turn will save drivers money and reduce emissions that worsen climate change.”

“Whether you drive an electric sedan or an electric pickup truck, or any other EV that saves you money at the pump, you need to be able to count on finding chargers along the road as easily as a gas station,” said US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Earlier this year, DOT announced nearly $5 billion in funding over five years to help states build out a national EV charging network, followed by proposed minimum standards to help ensure the network is user-friendly, reliable, and accessible to all Americans.

Source: Federal Highway Administration