Rhode Island's I-95 Becomes First to Complete Phase 1 EV Charger Install

Rhode Island is now the first state to finish the first phase of a national electric vehicle charging infrastructure initiative.

Completing Phase 1 of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program meant installing four new Level 3 Direct Current Fast Chargers along Interstate 95. The ChargePoint Express Plus Power Link PL2000 series chargers are capable of charging an electric vehicle to 80% in 20 to 40 minutes.

Rhode Island’s stretch of I-95 now has eight Direct Current Fast Chargers and six Dual-Port Level 2 charging stations.

Announced in 2022, the NEVI Program distributed $5 billion to all 50 states to expand their EV infrastructure and aims to have 500,000 public charging stations in the U.S. by 2030. The program is part of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure law signed in 2021.

Rhode Island is set to receive almost $23 million in EV infrastructure funding over a five-year period that began in 2022.

“NEVI Phase 1 is a significant step toward achieving our transportation emission reduction efforts in advancing our Act on Climate objectives,” said Acting Office of Energy Resources Commissioner Chris Kearns. “OER is now looking to move forward to Phase 2 of the NEVI program to deploy additional charging stations on both public and private parking lots to continue to advance the increase in electric vehicle adoption in Rhode Island.”

Phase 2 of the NEVI Program is expected to be completed in Rhode Island this fall.

Earlier this year, the Federal Highway Administration approved $623 million in grants to help build a nationwide charging network for electric vehicles, with projects in 22 states receiving the funds.