Hawaii will receive a $2,616,956 boost to expand the the state's network of electric vehicle, or EV, charging stations, congressional officials announced Thursday.
The new federal aid comes as part of an estimated $18 million in funding — under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — for EV charging to be disbursed to the Islands over the next five years. The funds will be used to install EV charging stations, operate them, and provide information about them to the public, and the stations can be installed on designated Alternative Fuel Corridors throughout the state, as part of a plan to develop a nationwide network of 500,000 EV charging stations by 2030.
An additional $300 million in funding for EV and alternative fuel charging stations, which Hawaii is eligible for, will be announced later in the year, according to congressional officials.
“People want to purchase EVs, but they worry about where and when they’ll be able to charge their car," said U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, in a statement. "By building EV charging stations across the state in places where people can actually use them, this new federal funding will make EVs more accessible for Hawaii families, create quieter streets, and help the State of Hawaii achieve its ambitious goals for building a clean economy.”
