INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana received federal approval to begin work on a statewide charging network as more and more electric vehicles hit the roads.
The state will invest nearly $100 million over the next five years to build out its EV charging network. The money comes from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program (NEVI), a broad national plan to expand charging accessibility in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
NEVI is part of the Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approved plans for states to use $1.5 billion in fiscal years 2022 and 2023, covering about 75,000 miles of highways across the country. The plan is intended to expand EV charging capacity and is a key component in the administration’s economic and climate agenda.
The administration aims to create a “convenient, reliable and affordable” national EV charging network and asked states to submit their plans for utilizing the federal funds. The U.S. government will invest about $5 billion nationally over the next five years. It hopes to deploy 500,000 charging stations by 2030.
Multiple state agencies were involved in the planning process, including INDOT, the Indiana Office of Energy Development, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Indiana Finance Authority and the Governor’s Office.
The state consulted with regional agencies like the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Ohio Department of Transportation, Michigan Department of Transportation, Illinois Department of Transportation and REV Midwest to avoid site duplication near state borders and organize a regional charging network.
The state reached out to multiple metropolitan areas and municipalities to discuss the plan and collected feedback from Hoosiers via an online survey. Other public outreach included three in-person meetings, a virtual walkthrough of the draft plan and one-on-one meetings with stakeholders.
The state outlined six goals in its EV charging plan:
- Collaborate and communicate with customers and stakeholders regarding EV infrastructure deployment
- Increase understanding of Indiana’s position as it relates to the EV industry and undertake initiatives to collect usage data and advance testing and research in the state
- Eliminate range anxiety for EVs
- Assess vehicle electrification needs as they evolve and update the EV plan regularly to support long-term economic competitiveness and quality of life
- Deliver the EV Plan to provide an interconnected, convenient, accessible, affordable, reliable, and equitable charging network
- Partner with the private sector so Indiana’s workforce can support EV infrastructure
According to the Indiana Department of Transportation, the state will work with public and private partners to expand EV charging across the state. Over the coming years, the money will go toward DC fast charging stations that meet federal guidelines.
Each station must have at least four ports capable of charging simultaneously at 150 kilowatts. The chargers will be spaced along every 50 miles of FHWA-designated Alternative Fuel Corridors. They must be located less than one mile from an exit or intersection and be available to the public 24 hours a day.
The state will invest in at least 44 Level 3 DC-Fast Charge EV charging stations. Upon the network’s completion, every Hoosier will be within 40 miles of a NEVI-funded charging station, INDOT said. The plan prioritizes access to EV charging stations for disadvantaged communities in both rural and urban areas, according to the state.
The charging stations are intended to spur broader adoption of electric vehicles and reduce range anxiety–the fear your EV won’t have enough charge to get from point A to point B.
Indiana aims to seek proposals from owner-operators by mid-2023, with the initial charging station installations beginning in 2024.
Here’s the list of preliminary and alternate sites from the state’s propsal:
I-465
- Exit 16/US 136 (preliminary)
- Exit 27/US 421 (alternate)
- Exit 31/US 31 (preliminary
- Exit 40/56th Street (alternate)
- Exit 52/Emerson Avenue (alternate)
I-469
- Exit 19/US 30 (preliminary)
- Exit 25/SR 37 (alternate)
I-64
- Exit 25/US 31 (preliminary)
- Exit 57/US 231 (preliminary)
- Exit 92/SR 66 (preliminary)
- Exit 123/State Street (preliminary)
I-65
- Exit 1/Eastern Blvd (alternate)
- Exit 4/Veterans Pkwy (preliminary)
- Exit 50/US 50 (preliminary)
- Exit 64/SR 58 (preliminary)
- Exit 68/SR 46 (alternate)
- Exit 103/Southport Rd (preliminary)
- Exit 130/Whitestown Pkwy (preliminary)
- Exit 139/SR 39 (alternate)
- Exit 172 /SR 26 (preliminary)
- Exit 215/SR 114 (preliminary)
- Exit 240/SR 2 (alternate)
- Exit 253/US 30 (preliminary)
I-69
- Exit 3/Green River Rd (alternate)
- Exit 15/New Harmony Rd (preliminary)
- Exit 23/SR 64 (alternate)
- Exit 62/US 150 (preliminary)
- Exit 87/US 231 (preliminary)
- Exit 118/SR 48 (alternate)
- Exit 126/Sample Rd (preliminary)
- Exit 138/Ohio St (alternate)
- Exit 160/Southport Rd (preliminary)
- Exit 202/96th St (preliminary)
- Exit 233/SR 67 (preliminary)
- Exit 264/SR 18 (preliminary)
- Exit 278/SR 5 (alternate)
- Exit 305/SR 14 (preliminary)
- Exit 311/US 27 (alternate)
- Exit 316/SR 1 (preliminary)
- Exit 348/US 20 (preliminary)
- Exit 357/Lake George Rd (alternate)
- Exit 245/US 35 (alternate)
- Exit 226/SR 109 (alternate)
I-70
- Exit 11/SR 46 (preliminary)
- Exit 41/SR 231 (preliminary)
- Exit 59/SR 39 (alternate)
- Exit 91/Post Rd (preliminary)
- Exit 123/SR 3 (preliminary)
I-74
- Exit 4/SR 63 (preliminary)
- Exit 34/US 231 (preliminary)
- Exit 39/SR 32 (preliminary
- Exit 66/SR 267 (preliminary)
- Exit 96/Post Rd (preliminary)
- Exit 113/SR 9 (alternate)
- Exit 134/SR 3 (preliminary)
- Exit 149/SR 229 (alternate)
I-80
- Exit 1/SR 41 (alternate)
- Exit 6/Burr St (alternate)
- Exit 10/SR 53 (alternate)
- Exit 15/SR 51 (preliminary)
- Exit 22/Travel Center (alternate)
- Exit 56/Travel Center (preliminary)
- Exit 72/US 31 (alternate)
- Exit 90/Travel Center (preliminary
- Exit 101/SR 15 (preliminary)
- Exit 126/Travel Center (preliminary)
- Exit 144/I-69 (alternate)
I-94
- Exit 19/SR 249 (alternate)
- Exit 34/US 421 (alternate)
U.S. 31
- Exit 127/W Main St (preliminary)
- Exit 162/SR 22 (preliminary)
- Exit 183/US 24 (alternate)
- Exit 203/SR 25 (preliminary)
- Exit 225/US 30 (alternate)
- Exit 233/US 6 (preliminary)