Charging Forward: Building EV Infrastructure

The Resource for Transportation Professionals | Winter 2024

THIS ISSUE:

Charging Forward: Building EV Infrastructure

3 Arkansas charges forward with EV Aarón Pinedo, PE — Advanced Transportation Planning Engineer Brad McCaleb, PE — Division Engineer, Transportation Planning and Policy Arkansas Department of Transportation 5 Leveraging NEVI funding for an electric future Niles Annelin — Manager, Policy Section Bureau of Transportation Planning Michigan Department of Transportation 8 Ohio’s bold policies advance EV infrastructure deployment plan Preeti Choudhary — Executive Director of DriveOhio Ohio Department of Transportation 10 Integrating private-sector expertise Jannine Miller — Director of Planning Matt Markham — Deputy Director of Planning Georgia Department of Transportation

Transportation Point is published by HNTB Corporation. HNTB is an infrastructure solutions firm providing award-winning planning, design, program management and construction management services. Please direct all questions or comments about Transportation Point to Max Mays at mmays@hntb.com.

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Arkansas charges forward with EV Accelerated approach earns first-round NEVI plan approval Aarón Pinedo, PE — Advanced Transportation Planning Engineer Arkansas Department of Transportation Brad McCaleb, PE — Division Engineer, Transportation Planning and Policy Arkansas Department of Transportation

The Arkansas Department of Transportation is charging forward with its vision to create a statewide network of high-powered electric vehicle charging stations. We received first-round federal approval of our 2022 Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment plan in September 2022 after beginning the planning process in May and submitting the document by the Aug. 1 deadline. Approval unlocked more than $19 million of the $54 million in National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program funding designated for Arkansas, giving us a jump-start on developing a competitive procurement program. We anticipate issuing a request for proposals soon.

Dual-purpose plan Our EVID plan directly responds to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration NEVI Formula Program to strategically deploy a nationwide, interconnected network of fast-charging stations on all Interstate Highways and FHWA-Designated Alternative Fuel Corridors.

Beyond meeting the requirements of the NEVI program, our EVID plan will support Arkansas’ burgeoning electric vehicle economy. BloombergNEF estimates more than half of U.S. car sales will be electric by 2030. Increasing consumer demand combined with government and business interest in electric vehicles is creating a recipe for jobs and

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success in Arkansas. Our state is fortunate to be home to world-class businesses embracing electric vehicles.

Walmart, a leader in placing EV charging stations at its locations across the country, recently partnered with Canoo, an automotive startup that manufactures electric vehicles and is setting up headquarters here in our state. Under the agreement, Walmart will purchase 4,500 electric delivery vehicles from Canoo. ArcBest, a transport company in Fort Smith, Arkansas, has purchased electric trucks and tractors.

We also have a GM auto manufacturing plant and battery manufacturers in our state. By implementing our EVID plan to build a statewide network of EV charging stations, we will support Arkansas’ businessfriendly ecosystem and spur economic development.

In Part 1 of our EVID plan, we will complete full buildout, per federal rules, on our Interstate Highways and Designated AFCs. We estimate a minimum of 15 charging sites will be needed, at an average cost of $1 million each, fully installed. That would leave millions of dollars of NEVI Formula Funding for Parts 2 and 3 of our EVID plan, which will bring electric vehicle charging stations to regionally significant routes that serve a large number of travelers and other routes to be identified through stakeholder engagement.

Depending on final bids and site locations, Arkansas could build between 45 and 65 NEVI-compliant EV charging sites throughout the state.

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such as charging station specifications and the federal rules that govern federal highway funding. Our efforts were rewarded with firstround approval and praise from the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, which said ours was one of the clearest, most succinct, articulate plans they had reviewed.

Accelerated approach An interlocking set of federal rules and laws, Arkansas state laws and ARDOT agency rules govern the federal NEVI funds that ARDOT will award to eligible proposers to install charging stations outside DOT right of way. Getting our arms around EV charging technology and the NEVI program in only four months was challenging, but we were able to accelerate our learning curve with the following strategies: •

A team of experts. We assembled a project management team of experts, including the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment, our key public agency partner.

The ADEE leads Arkansas’ Volkswagen Clean Air Act Civil Settlement program, in which the state received $14.6 million for air pollution mitigation and prevention projects. One of its mitigation programs is financial assistance for the installation of direct current fast chargers along major interstates, the very EV chargers we intend to deploy in our plan. Partnering was a natural and smart first step.

ARDOT also brought expertise to the planning table. Our Transportation Planning & Policy Division was responsible for developing the EVID plan, and it fits well with our division.

We are responsible for providing long-range multimodal transportation planning for the state, which is why the EVID plan is for EV charging stations. The federal grant process experience provided by our program management division helped facilitate planning and approval.

The sum of our efforts was a powerhouse project management team whose collective knowledge was greater than any one member.

We also collaborated closely with the Arkansas Electrification Working Group, a group ARDOT assembled whose members include the ADEE, the FHWA-Arkansas Division, the Public Service Commission, Arkansas utilities, metropolitan planning organizations, Arkansas Governor’s office, Arkansas Clean Cities, Arkansas Municipal League and the County Judges’ Association of Arkansas.

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Clear, straightforward communication. We created an efficient plan that clearly articulated how we planned to spend the formula funds. Our EVID plan relied heavily on graphics and maps to visually communicate complex technicalities,

To further enhance understanding of the EVID plan, we created an interactive geospatial mapping tool highlighting and numbering the 11 charging station gaps we have identified along Arkansas interstates. Anyone can access it, see the locations of current NEVI-compliant charging stations, look at the network gaps and prioritize their development. The response so far has been excellent.

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Engage utilities early. Once the Joint Office approved our EVID plan, we began focusing on the procurement process and what that might look like. Private-sector businesses applying for NEVI funding to install, own, operate and maintain charging stations will need to conduct site assessments, which will require coordination with their electric utility providers. Engaging and informing the utilities of those impending requests will be crucial to maintaining our accelerated approach.

On Dec. 7, 2022, ARDOT hosted an informational webinar for utility providers in the state. Topics included procurement, timelines and a description of costs that will be eligible for reimbursement through federal NEVI funds. We also shared with participants an early draft of the assessment form proposers will fill out as part of the funding process.

We walked away from the webinar with valuable feedback on the assessment form’s wording and a baseline understanding of power availability along our interstates.

A blueprint for a prosperous economic future The NEVI Program envisions a future when everyone who wants to can ride and drive electric vehicles. We see that future, too, but we also envision a future where our EVID plan supports Arkansas’ strong economic development and growth in the EV space.

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Leveraging NEVI funding for an electric future MDOT partners with three state agencies to maximize federal dollars Niles Annelin — Manager, Policy Section Bureau of Transportation Planning Michigan Department of Transportation

Michigan is America’s auto hub. Twenty percent of the state’s economy and one in five jobs are tied to the automotive industry. Although electric vehicles represent fewer than 1% of registered vehicles in Michigan, their numbers increased by more than 400% between 2019 and 2022. As the future of mobility evolves and the automotive sector embraces electrification, it is the state’s job to lead.

Seeing the rise in demand for electric vehicles and with our economy intrinsically tied to the auto industry, Michigan’s goal is to increase electric vehicle market share from 1% to 25% by 2030. Multiple agencies across the state were already working to realize that goal when the Michigan Department of Transportation was awarded $110 million by the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula

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Program to plan and deploy a statewide EV charging network. Our goal is to maximize those dollars by ensuring our investments don’t overshadow, conflict or duplicate other efforts already underway.

Three state agency partners According to Michigan’s State Plan for Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment, we will install four 150-kilowatt or greater chargers with combined charging system ports at intervals of no more than 50 miles along each of the state’s designated Alternative Fuel Corridors over the next five years. Once the AFCs are fully built out and certified by the U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary, the remaining funds will become discretionary and eligible for use on any public road or publicly accessible area. Naturally, we want to stretch our formula funding as far as possible.

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“Seeing the rise in demand for electric vehicles and with our economy intrinsically tied to the auto industry, Michigan’s goal is to increase electric vehicle market share from 1% to 25% by 2030.”

While our overall EVID plan and end goal may be like those of other states, the extent of our state agency partnerships is quite different. To gain a comprehensive view of the efforts across the state and to ensure we are maximizing NEVI funding, MDOT is partnering with three other state agencies to develop and deploy the EVID plan: •

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy

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The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification

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The Michigan Public Service Commission

The unique collaboration allowed us to pool our resources and expertise to create the EVID plan, rapidly deploy it and maximize NEVI funding.

Under the first procurement, we will contract entities to acquire, install, operate and maintain publicly accessible EV charging infrastructure at 46 sites.

Division of responsibilities Each of the four state agency partners brings a unique skill set and valuable experience to Michigan’s EVID plan and plays a specific role in its launch. MDOT is the lead agency focused on delivering the charging and grid infrastructure. We will award and administer the federal funds.

The Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) operates the charging infrastructure deployment program. They know the EV market and leveraging their industry relationships has expedited our efforts. In fact, EGLE’s Charge Up Michigan Program provided lessons learned for the state’s NEVI Formula Program, serving as a model for prioritization and installation that will save time and money in our own deployment.

The Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) provides labor and workforce expertise. They work with state government, academia and private industry to enhance Michigan’s mobility ecosystem, including efforts to develop dynamic mobility and electrification policies and support emerging mobility and electrification technologies and businesses throughout Michigan. OFME has initiated EV collaboration and support between state departments in charge of infrastructure, passenger transportation, industry, workforce, climate solutions and the grid.

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Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) ensures safe, reliable and accessible energy and telecommunications services. Naturally, the MPSC informed the plan from a utility perspective. In addition, they have provided insights we might not have considered, such as how to fortify our network against power outages.

Risk mitigation strategies Our DOT and its partners have mobilized several strategies to minimize costly risks and ensure the success of Michigan’s EVID program: •

Revving up the supply chain and the workforce. Shortages of equipment and a skilled workforce threaten every EVID plan across the country as states enter the implementation phase and inundate the industry with RFPs for installations. We are addressing the issue directly with economic development incentives to attract EV charging station manufacturers.

As a result, Canadian-based FLO opened its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and began production in 2022.

BorgWarner is investing $20 million to expand three existing Michigan-based facilities and develop an electric vehicle battery service center.

These manufacturers will help the state meet market demand as it ramps up.

To ensure Michigan has a robust labor market to build and support EV charging infrastructure for the next five years and beyond, the OFME is funding a workforce training program.

The program aims to extend to every licensed electrician and apprentice in the state the opportunity to become Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program-certified.

In turn, contractors and subcontractors must hire EVITP-certified electricians to install and maintain the NEVI-funded electric vehicle supply equipment.

and operation.

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Leveraging existing capital. To unlock Michigan’s portion of NEVI formula funding, we must provide a 20% non-federal match.

Utility dollars are considered private and, therefore, can be part of the match. We also are exploring how we might dovetail the NEVI formula program with awards from the $2.5 billion federal Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program.

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Understanding the future. We have tapped into our EV industry alliances and partnerships to understand future battery sizes, power acceptance rates and ranges, so the charging stations we install today remain relevant tomorrow.

Bringing the future to Michigan Implementation of Michigan’s EVID plan is a giant step toward achieving our ultimate vision of a safe, equitable, reliable, convenient and interconnected transportation electrification network that enables the efficient movement of people, improves the quality of life, spurs economic growth, protects Michigan’s environment and facilitates data collection. With our state partners, we are confident we can achieve that goal by efficiently and cost-effectively bringing EV technology to as many Michiganders as possible.

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Developed in collaboration with automakers, utilities, EVSE equipment manufacturers and other key stakeholder associations, the workforce training programs will ensure that no matter where EV charging stations are installed and maintained, there will be a robust, localized labor pool to perform the work, keep costs low, meet delivery timelines and ensure safe installation

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Ohio’s bold policies advance EV infrastructure deployment plan Open site selection, standalone projects and procurement before NEPA generate big market response Preeti Choudhary — Executive Director of DriveOhio Ohio Department of Transportation

Smart mobility, technology and transportation have long been Ohio priorities. Under the direction of Governor DeWine, our mission is to make those advances available to the public to benefit drivers as quickly as possible as our state shifts to alternative fuels.

The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program is different from other DOT projects in that construction is completed on private property, the private sector owns and operates the equipment and revenue is collected. Combined with the Ohio Department of Transportation goals to be first to market and have open site selection, this resulted in one of the most creative, innovative approaches to project delivery we have ever undertaken.

Over the next several years, Ohio will receive $140 million in formula funding to install direct-current fast chargers (DCFC) along 1,867 miles of 15 Federal Highway Administration-designated alternative fuel vehicle corridors in our state. Like other states, Ohio’s EV infrastructure deployment plan calls upon the private sector to install, operate and maintain the charging stations.

Before NEVI rules had been finalized, we initiated a public-private partnership, or P3, procurement for EV charging stations on Oct. 31, 2022. We had two reasons for our aggressive approach. First, we wanted to minimize supply chain disruptions. Second, we wanted to get ahead of workforce shortages.

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Our reason for open site selection? It generates competition. A competitive bidding environment would help us accelerate our EV infrastructure deployment program. And, the best way to attract vendors in Ohio is to give them as much freedom as possible in how they approach each installation site. Unlike other states that have restricted the interchanges available for bidding to optimize for 50-mile spacing, we allowed bids within one mile of any interstate exit not already served by existing EV chargers.

Adhering to our two objectives, we generated maximum market participation, a strong bidding environment and are on track to achieving our ultimate goal of handing over the ownership, operation and maintenance of NEVI-funded EV charging stations to the private sector as quickly as possible.

How we got here In 2019 and early 2020, two years before NEVI funding was available, we took our first step in building a framework for a statewide EV charging network by conducting a statewide analysis of existing EV charging infrastructure for passenger and freight vehicles. We talked with the stakeholders necessary to make the program successful, mapped charger locations and identified the corridors where future infrastructure would be needed. Through the site analysis, we identified priority locations to enable intercity travel and support tourism at top state attractions to provide public exposure to EV charging and give state personnel experience with the technology.

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Because our DOT was the first to begin procurement, it was important for us to work closely with the market in shaping an attractive request for proposals (RFP). After our analysis, we issued a request for information, which asked for feedback on the draft RFP. In addition to written feedback, we welcomed the opportunity to meet with any business interested in discussing the document.

Ultimately, we spoke with 33 potential bidders, who said they wanted flexibility in how they approached each site. And, although bundling multiple sites and delivering them with a cookie-cutter approach would have streamlined the number of contracts ODOT would have to award and administer, we, instead, chose to let each site apply as a separate project to give vendors maximum flexibility, per their request.

“The sum of our efforts was a powerhouse project management team whose collective knowledge was greater than any one member.”

Our decision to provide maximum flexibility to the private sector by opening more interchange areas to bidding and to complete the environmental clearance in-house may seem like a small deviation from the norm, but these ideas were entirely original at the time. Because we could only formally contract with the winning bidders once we had conducted and received environmental and real estate clearance on the proposed sites, we decided to award contingency contracts, complete the environmental process and then enter into formal agreements.

When the request for proposals closed Jan. 18, 2023, the response far exceeded our expectations. We received 300 proposals from 30 high-quality bidders.

Most bidders committed the required 20 percent local match, and in some cases, more than 20 percent.

Because we listened to the market and were willing to make some bold procedural changes, on July 13, 2023, Governor DeWine announced contingent awards for the first 27 sites on Ohio’s interstates that will be installed by 2024, bringing us closer to helping constituents make the shift to alternative fuel.

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Integrating private-sector expertise GDOT leverages research from commercial real estate developer, financial firm to develop customer-driven Georgia NEVI plan Jannine Miller — Director of Planning Georgia Department of Transportation Matt Markham — Deputy Director of Planning Georgia Department of Transportation

Georgia’s goal to become the electric mobility capital of the United States is fast becoming reality.

At last count, 186 companies, including major automakers, are investing $31 billion in e-mobility and supporting 380,000 jobs in our state. As manufacturers roll out electric vehicles, Georgia’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Deployment Plan will make our state a great place to own and drive them.

Our implementation strategy is to catalyze the EV market through competitive solicitation, award contracts to developers that know how to install and manage charging equipment and let the program establish roots and grow on its own. To achieve that goal, the Georgia NEVI plan had to lay groundwork for developers to generate a profit, which meant locating charging stations in areas with demand potential.

The Federal Highway Administration’s five-year National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program provides funding to states to strategically deploy electric vehicle charging stations and to establish an interconnected network to facilitate data collection, access and reliability. For at least the first two years of our NEVI plan, the Georgia Department of Transportation will focus on building out our state’s Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFCs) to NEVI standards by installing 150 kW DC fast chargers less than 50 miles apart and within 1 mile of the designated AFC.

Using GDOT’s traditional metrics of daily travel times and daily vehicle volumes was a good start, but for Georgia to create a true customerdriven plan we needed to integrate private-sector knowledge of the EV market and charging customer preferences.

Catalyze the market and let it grow Although we have not implemented a federal law like NEVI before, we are confident Georgia’s plan will succeed because it is a customer-driven plan based on the best thinking and experiences available.

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Integrating private-sector research and insights To develop that plan, we partnered with technical, financial, and real estate advisors to leverage their knowledge of the EV market, infrastructure requirements, commercial properties, and risks among the various market segments. Their expertise informed our plan in the following areas:

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Locations. Our private-sector partners helped us identify potential sites where drivers would be inclined to stop to recharge their vehicles and engage with local businesses to support economic development. They also shared research about site hosts, their motivations for participating and their appetites for risk. Based on what we learned, GDOT is targeting approximately 30 urban and rural locations where research indicates potential customer demand exists for EV charging, but where private-sector interest could be strengthened with the support of a public subsidy. The plan indicates that sites with market potential include: •

Gas stations

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Convenience stores

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Big-box retailers

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Large shopping centers

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Large grocery stores paired with other retail

Traditional gas stations, truck stops and travel centers have indicated they welcome EV charging as an opportunity to expand their service lines and create new revenue streams. Retailers, restaurant chains and offices reported an understanding of the benefit of providing charging stations as an added convenience for customers, tenants and employees while at the same time continuing to support sustainability.

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Funding. We anticipate awarding the Georgia NEVI sites on an individual basis to one or more developers, each with a separate agreement. Proposals assured us the EV market is willing to provide the 20% local match necessary to unlock Georgia’s approximately $135 million NEVI funding.

Based on market interest and the feedback we received after issuing a Request for Information earlier this year, we are confident there will be private-sector interest in Georgia’s NEVI program.

E-mobility statewide GDOT is proud to be a part of this transformational time in Georgia’s history and to support Governor Brian Kemp’s vision of e-mobility for all. Once we fulfill our federal obligations, we have the opportunity to expand Georgia’s EV network to other corridors and to consider other market segments and end-use case such as destination charging and community charging hubs.

GDOT understands and values the expertise our external partners provide, and we anticipate future private partnerships as we make Georgia the e-mobility capital of the U.S. ABOUT THE AUTH

Coverage. We added two new alternative fuel corridors to our existing AFCs, which allows us to extend coverage and advance our goal of a comprehensive statewide network. Our selections US-441 on the eastern side of the state and US-82 in the south and southwestern part of the state - connect to tourist destinations and provide the opportunity to install and operate EV chargers in rural areas and along hurricane evacuation routes, giving EV owners an additional level of comfort in emergencies.

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