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Drive Electric Illinois
Illinois has emerged as a leader in embracing electric vehicles as cornerstones of economic growth and carbon reduction in our state. Under Gov. Pritzker, a foundation has been laid to remake transportation as we know it here in Illinois. We are blazing a trail by creating infrastructure to support electric vehicles as one of many means to get people where they are going, and connecting and uplifting communities along the way. We are watching new technology and new ways to travel unfolding before us. We have a lot to be excited about – as well as a lot to learn.
- Omer Osman
Secretary of Transportation
Illinois National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program
On October 10, 2024, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) hosted an engagement session to share information about the upcoming second round of Illinois’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) grant program and capture feedback from potential applicants and other interested stakeholders. The audio from that webinar can be found here, and the presentation slides from that same webinar can be found here.
On September 9, 2024, Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Transportation announced $25.3 million in grants to build charging stations along interstate corridors through the initial round of funding made available from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program. In addition to making travel by electric vehicle more reliable and accessible, the funding advances Gov. Pritzker’s continuing commitment to make the state an industry leader and fight climate change by putting a million EVs on Illinois roads by 2030.
A total of 37 projects throughout the state were chosen in this first round of NEVI funding, which will facilitate the construction of 182 new charging ports. Selected locations will have at least four DC fast charging ports, each of which can fully charge a typical EV from empty in less than 30 minutes. All of the awards are contingent on the selected recipients entering into a grant agreement with IDOT.
Application Materials
The first Notice of Funding Opportunity for NEVI funds has closed. The application materials below remain on the website as stakeholder information. Please note that elements of this NOFO may change in future rounds.
The Notice of Funding Opportunity for the first round of the Illinois National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program.
The recording of the applicant informational webinar provides a summary of the NOFO and information on how to apply. Please see also the slide deck from the webinar and the Frequently Asked Questions (updated 4/26/24).
Application Submission Checklist
Form 3: Detailed Cost Proposal
(Form 3 Cell C11 should match the value in Form 5 Cell D61. If the value in Form 5 Cell D61 is a cost range, applicants should enter the middle value of the range in Form 3 Cell C11. For additional details, please see the FAQ document.)
Form 4: Detailed Project Schedule
GATA Uniform Grant Application
IDOT Conflict of Interest Disclosure
IDOT Subrecipient Risk Assessment (Only required for GATA-exempt Local Public Agencies)
Click on the map below for information on NEVI-eligible corridors and to provide suggestions on charging station locations.
Charging Illinois’ Electric Vehicle Future
Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Illinois, and emissions from cars and trucks, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons, are harmful to human health and the environment. Electric vehicles (EVs), which generate no tailpipe emissions, are an important part of reducing air pollution and mitigating the effects of climate change.
The state of Illinois aims to be a leader in manufacturing and deploying electric vehicles, setting a goal of having 1 million registered EVs in the state by 2030. Between 2019 and 2021, the governor and the legislature worked to pass several pieces of legislation that accelerate the adoption of EVs, including the multi-year capital bill Rebuild Illinois and the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). These state programs complement federal funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which also provides support for EV infrastructure.
The Illinois Department of Transportation is working closely with other state agencies in Illinois, including the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to implement these programs. One key responsibility for IDOT is strategically deploying EV charging stations in an interconnected network, particularly on the Illinois’ key travel corridors. This website serves as a gathering place for concerned individuals and the EV industry to engage as IDOT plans and implements state and federal programs.
Federal Electric Vehicle Investment
On November 15, 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was signed into law. The IIJA allocates $7.5 billion for to various programs to promote the adoption of electric vehicles across the nation. $2.5 billion is to be used for charging and refueling infrastructure of various types along the interstate in historically disadvantaged communities via a competitive award program to be administered by the newly formed Joint office of Energy and Transportation. The remaining $5 billion forms the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) formula based funding program. This program will see $148 million infused into Illinois over the next 5 years focusing on interstate Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFS), per federal guidance announced on February 10th, 2022. This guidance directs states to build out previously designated alternative fuel corridors with the NEVI funds. Charging stations will be placed (or upgrading of existing stations) every 50 miles and no greater than 1 mile from the designated corridor. These DCFS stations must have a minimum of 4 combined charging system (CCS) ports each, with the capability of drawing 150kWh totaling 600kWh.
For more information on Illinois designated alternative fuel corridors please view this webmap.
Illinois EV Infrastructure Plans
IDOT is implementing the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, a part of the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that provides $148 million over 5 years to Illinois to establish an interconnected public EV charging network, first prioritizing stations along the interstate highway system. The 2023 Electric Vehicle Deployment Plan for NEVI funds was approved by the Federal Highway Administration on September 29, 2023. This plan builds on the 2022 Electric Vehicle Deployment Plan approved by FHWA in September 2022. These plans detail the state’s approach to deploying public charging infrastructure that provides convenient, accessible, reliable, and equitable electric vehicle charging throughout the state.
As part of continued stakeholder engagement, IDOT has prepared a summary of initial comments received by stakeholders and how the feedback is influencing NEVI plan implementation. IDOT plans to continue providing periodic summaries of stakeholder and public feedback as implementation continues.
Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Program
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced on January 19th that it has been awarded $7.1 million in federal funds to fix electric vehicle chargers available to the public statewide. The funding, made possible through the Federal Highway Administration’s Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Program, helps support Gov. JB Pritzker’s goal to have 1 million EVs on the road in Illinois by 2030. A complete list of locations where chargers will be repaired or replaced can be accessed by clicking here.
On August 27th, IDOT hosted a participation briefing kick-off webinar. The audio from that webinar can be found here, and the presentation slides from that same webinar can be found here.
Plan Timeline
November 2022
11/29/2022: Third Public Outreach Meeting for the Illinois National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan
Click to Watch
September 2022
9/27/2022: Illinois NEVI plan approved by Federal Highway Administration
9/8/2022: Second Public Outreach Meeting for the Illinois National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan
Click to Watch
August 2022
8/1/2022: Illinois submitted the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan to the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation for review
July 2022
7/28/2022: First Public Outreach Meeting for the Illinois National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan
Click to Watch
June 2022
U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) notice of proposed rulemaking.
https://driveelectric.gov/news/#nevi-info
EPA Announces Clean School Bus Funding
https://www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus
May 2022
Round 6 Request for Nominations of State and local officials to nominate Alternative Fuel Corridors for designation.
Related Sites
- DriveElectric.gov
- Electrify Illinois
- Explaining Electric & Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles | US EPA
- Department of Energy EV Charger Map
- Chicago Clean Cities Coalition
- NASEO and AASHTO Joint site
- American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
- Reimagining Electric Vehicles (REV) Illinois Program - REV
- Electric Vehicle Rebate Program - Climate and Equitable Jobs Act