The Arkansas Transportation Department has moved into the next phase of attempting to expand on the Biden administration’s electric vehicle charging plans.
The Department is asking for proposals to build charging stations along some of the state’s highways as part of its Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Program.
This is part of an effort to plan the deployment and allocation of federal funding provided by the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program, an initiative created by the Infrastructure and Jobs Act of 2021.
The federal program can cover up to 80% of eligible project costs for charging stations along Alternative Fuel Corridors, or highways where electric vehicle chargers will be developed. In Arkansas, the corridors are almost entirely located around interstates.
According to Aarón Pinedo, senior engineer in the Local Programs Division at the Arkansas Department of Transportation, the $5 billion federal effort aims to establish a network of 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations by 2030.
The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) has issued a Request for Proposals for the Arkansas Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment (EVID) Program. Proposals will have to be submitted by Wednesday, March 19 for funding consideration.