Federal grants could provide more solutions for electric vehicle charging

It is no secret that electric vehicle registrations have been on the rise across the state, with Dallas-Fort Worth leading the way. Over 90,000 EVs are currently registered across the region.

NCTCOG is looking to make sure EV owners can confidently operate their vehicles by charging them when necessary.

In January, NCTCOG was awarded a $15 million federal grant to enhance the region’s EV charging network, which currently includes over 900 stations. (An additional $70 million in grant funding was awarded to help build a series of hydrogen fueling stations in the Texas Triangle.) 

Additionally, NCTCOG was awarded $3.66 million through the Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator Program (RAA) to upgrade the region’s existing EV charging infrastructure.

RAA is a competitive program created by the Federal Highway Administration. The main goal is to create a more reliable network of charging stations by fixing the ones that have already been built but are not currently operating. There are approximately 230 eligible charging ports across 124 sites in North Texas that have been identified as requiring attention. These charging sites may have first-generation equipment or older software that does not allow people to see where chargers are available. For more information on EVs, visit www.dfwcleancities.org.