State of Hawaiʻi to implement electric vehicle infrastructure plan with federal funds

Following President Joe Biden’s announcement of the approval of all states’ Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment plans on Tuesday, the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation will kick off implementation of its plan. 

The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure is a new program under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed last November. 

The federal government has set a standard for electric vehicle infrastructure for all states. The first phase of the program requires one fast charger to be installed at 50-mile intervals along and within one mile of all Hawai‘i’s highways. 

The state Department of Transportation expects about $6.1 million in federal funding during the first two years of this five-year program. 

The program’s goal is the installation of a reliable and convenient network of fast chargers for electric vehicles across the state. The chargers will be able to provide a full charge to four cars simultaneously within 20 minutes. 

“Hawai‘i ranks highest among states in the adoption of electric vehicles,” said Ed Sniffen, Deputy Director of the Highways Division. “Through this program we will fill gaps in the state’s charging network to make owning electric vehicles cost effective and charging more convenient to support conversion in line with our aggressive state goals.”

The approved plan calls for the installation of 11 chargers on six islands. 

The Department of Transportation is discussing placement of the chargers with state and county agencies, the local power companies, and owners of commercial centers. 

A key part of the plan is community engagement to ensure the chargers are strategically placed so they are accessible and safe, and they do not cause negative impacts to neighborhoods. Once those 11 chargers are in place, the plan will be updated to add charging stations to other corridors and community locations.

Over the next three months, the state Department of Transportation will finalize the selection of the first three sites, complete work to prepare the sites, and order the charging equipment. The department will work with its existing contractor, Sustainability Partners, to purchase, operate and maintain the chargers.

Updates on the plan implementation and schedules for community meetings will be posted on the Hawai’i Department of Transportation website.