Our Bruised Federal EV Charger Program Just Had A Comeback Year

America’s public fast-charging network expanded at a record pace last year, growing 30% and adding more than 18,000 new ports. That push was largely led by private investment, but a small share of that growth also came from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program.

The $5 billion program was passed under the Biden administration as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It was designed to create a federally funded network of high-speed public fast chargers along America’s major travel corridors, helping states lay the groundwork for broader EV adoption in the coming years.

But after a slow and controversial start, the NEVI program finally appears to be gaining momentum.

Photo by: Plugshare

Nearly 100 new NEVI-funded charging stations came online in the U.S. last year, adding close to 500 new ports, according to a report released Wednesday by charging analytics firm Paren. That’s more than double the number of stations and roughly three times the number of NEVI-funded ports added in 2024.

“NEVI is a signal to the broader market to continue building EV [charging] infrastructure,” Paren CEO Florent Breton told me in an interview. “It serves as a magnet for foreign players, such as Alpitronic, to come and be part of the industry in the U.S.”

While these ports represent only a small fraction of the more than 18,000 chargers added last year, their growth is significant given NEVI’s turbulent year full of lawsuits and political battles.

The program came under heavy fire from the Trump administration last year. The first attempt at killing it came last February, when the Department of Transportation (DOT) froze NEVI funds and instructed states not to award any new contracts. A coalition of states sued soon after, and a judge ultimately ruled in favor of NEVI, ordering the administration to unfreeze the funds.

GMC Hummer EV charging at an EVgo fast charger

Photo by: General Motors

Then, this January, the administration tried once again to freeze NEVI funds. But last week, a federal judge in Seattle ruled in favor of the 20 states that sued to restore the funds. EV advocates have argued that the case for NEVI was always straightforward. It was a bipartisan act of Congress, and the arbitrary revocation of funds without due process was unlawful.

What’s also worth noting is that the DOT released updated guidance last October that reduced some of NEVI’s stricter requirements in an effort to speed up the deployment of chargers. 

Now, states are shifting into higher gear when it comes to commissioning and building these sites. According to EVstates.org, which tracks the progress of the NEVI program, some 42 states have approval plans for 2026 and $632 million has gone out to charging companies to build chargers so far.

It’s unclear whether more lawsuits are looming this year. But if the program enters a steadier phase, it could scale much faster than it has so far.

Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com