Electric Vehicle Charging Signs to be Posted Along Highway 19 & 190

The State of Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism announced that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has designated two more Hawai‘i highways as alternative fuel corridors, clearing the way for the installation of signage that will alert drivers to locations with electric vehicle chargers or hydrogen fuel stations.

New electric vehicle charger/hydrogen fuel station signs. IC: FHWA

The nomination of two Hawai‘i Island corridors was coordinated by the Hawai‘i State Energy Office (HSEO), a division of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, in cooperation with the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT) and a host of other local partners. The two new corridors are in addition to seven other alternate fuel corridors on Maui and O‘ahu approved by the FHWA in 2016.

“We are very proud that two of our corridors on Hawai‘i Island have been selected as alternative fuel corridors,” said HDOT Director Jade Butay. “Moving away from fossil fuel use in transportation plays a critical part in meeting Governor Ige’s clean energy goals and we are grateful to the Hawai‘i State Energy Office for their guidance in sustainable transportation initiatives.”

DBEDT Director Luis P. Salaveria said ongoing efforts to decarbonize Hawai‘i’s transportation sector are an essential part of the state’s clean energy transformation. “Ground transportation constitutes one of the largest uses of petroleum in Hawai‘i,” Salaveria said. “Increasing the number of EVs and other alternative fuel vehicles will go a long way toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and strengthening our energy security.”

Highway 19 from Kailua-Kona to Hilo (Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway/Kawaiahae Road/Hawai‘i Belt Road) and Highway 190 from Kailua-Kona to Waimea (Māmalahoa Highway) received the alternative fuel corridor designation because they meet the FHWA’s criteria for placement of EV charging and hydrogen fueling stations along major highways.

Hawai‘i Island’s alternative fuel corridors have EV charging stations that are no further than 50 miles from each other and no more than one mile from the highway. There are also plans for a hydrogen fueling station that will be located at the National Energy Laboratory of Hawai‘i Authority campus at Keahole Point just off Highway 19.

These designated highways are in addition to Hawai‘i’s existing alternative fuel corridors, which include I-H1/Hwy 72, I-H2/Hwy 99, and I-H3 on O‘ahu and Highway 30, Highway 311, Highway 31, Highway 32, Highway 36 and a portion of Highway 37 on Maui.

Other partners in the Hawai‘i Island corridor solicitation with the FHWA include the Hawai‘i Center for Advanced Transportation Technologies, Hawai‘i Natural Energy Institute, County of Hawai‘i, the Hawaiian Electric Companies and EV charging network provider Greenlots.

Corridors from across the country were nominated as part of FHWA’s Alternative Fuel Corridor (AFC) program. For more information on the program and to view a map of designated and pending corridors, visit the AFC website and the GIS map.

For locations and other information on EV charging stations in Hawai‘i, download the HSEO “EV Stations Hawai‘i” app on your mobile device or visit online.