Tejal Somvanshi
The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation is celebrating the groundbreaking of the nation’s first electric vehicle (EV) charging project funded by the Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility (EVC-RAA) program in Washington, D.C. The program was first announced in January 2024, and work has now begun on the first public charger in the city.
“The station, currently non-operational, will receive upgraded infrastructure and expanded high-speed charging capacity,” the announcement states. This currently non-operational station will undergo infrastructure upgrades and expanded charging capacity for faster service. The existing charger, which currently charges a single vehicle at a maximum of 50 kilowatts (kW), will be upgraded to support four vehicles simultaneously at a minimum of 150 kW each, using either a Combined Charging System 1 or J3400 connector. The station will be equipped with a CCS 1 connector and another NACS connector, tripling the charging speed compared to its previous capacity.
The station is conveniently located near various amenities, including a convenience store, a riverfront park, trails, and a Capital Bikeshare station. This makes sense since many automakers recently announced that they would begin offering their EVs with the NACS (North American Charging Standard) system in the U.S. starting next year. Until now, that system was only used by Tesla.
Gabe Klein, Executive Director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, stated, “Having convenient, reliable chargers in the heart of Washington, D.C., will make it easier for residents, tourists, and visitors to drive electric. These upgraded chargers offer faster speeds, serve more drivers, and are part of a wave of projects creating good jobs across the country. Today’s historic groundbreaking marks another step forward on our journey to creating clean mobility options for all Americans.”
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The EVC-RAA grant program has allocated nearly $150 million to help American communities repair approximately 4,500 existing EV charging ports. This effort supports the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of having 500,000 public EV chargers operational by 2030. EVC-RAA grants are specifically designated for locations with broken or non-operational public chargers.
The Reliability and Accessibility of Electric Vehicle Chargers (EVC-RAA) is part of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, launched under the Biden-Harris administration. The NEVI program was established under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help states build reliable, safe, and accessible EV charging infrastructure across the nation. The Joint Office is collaborating with all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico to ensure the success of the NEVI program, which is advancing the Biden-Harris Administration’s vision for a clean energy future.
The funds were awarded to 24 grant recipients in 20 U.S. states, with California receiving the largest portion. It received more than $63 million to repair over 1,300 ports. Washington State will maintain 506 charging stations with over $10 million in funding. Oregon also received around $10 million for over 400 ports, while New York State secured $13 million to repair 335 ports.
