Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Rural Kansas

Electric Vehicle Adoption and Industry Growth

Thirty-seven global automakers are planning to spend approximately $1.2 trillion through 2030 on the development and production of millions of electric vehicles (EV), as well as batteries and raw materials to support production.

The increasing demand for EVs could also lead to a demand for more charging stations to help power these vehicles and alleviate driver “range anxiety,” as drivers would be capable of going farther without fear of the vehicle running out of power.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in 2022, 7,600 EVs and 4,300 hybrid EVs were registered in the State of Kansas. Kansas will play a role in the expansion of charging station infrastructure in order to facilitate interstate travel and commerce.

Charging Station Expansion and Funding

An estimated 54 million battery-powered EVs are expected to be on U.S. roads by 2030. It is anticipated that $39.0 billion in investments are needed by 2030 for public charging infrastructure to meet the accompanying demand.

As of 2022, the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), an association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies, has invested nearly $3.7 billion in programs and projects to accelerate the EV charging station infrastructure implementation process.

In December 2021, the United States Department of Transportation and the DOE created a new department called the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Office), which will support and ensure production of EV charging networks nationwide. On February 10, 2022, the Office assigned $5.0 billion to be made available under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, which was established in the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act, for electric vehicle charging.

As of September 27, 2022, all 50 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have been approved to move forward with the construction of EV fast charging stations covering approximately 75,000 miles of highway across the country.

The NEVI Formula funding can also be used for other projects that are directly related to charging of a vehicle, such as:

• Upgrading existing and constructing new EV charging infrastructure;
• Operation and upkeep costs of EV charging stations;
• Installation of on-site electrical service equipment;
• Community and stakeholder engagement;
• Workforce development;
• EV charging station signage;
• Data sharing activities; and
• Mapping analysis.

Kansas EV Charging Programs and Funding

On September 16, 2022, the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Charge Up Kansas NEVI plan was approved and is set to receive $39.5 million over the next five years. This program will include direct current fast chargers as well as EV charging corridors. In Kansas, the corridors included will reside along I-70, I-35, I-135, US 400, and US 81 from I-70 north to the Nebraska state line. When completed, approximately 1,600 miles of Kansas interstates and highways will have fast charging stations available for public use.

On January 3, 2024, Governor Kelly announced the first six locations, which will receive a total of more than $4.6 million of federal funds:

• Emporia;
• Garden City;
• Pittsburg/Cherokee/Baxter Springs;
• Fredonia/Parsons/Neodesha/Severy;
• Concordia/Belleville; and
• Pratt.

According to the Office of the Governor, the awarded six projects must provide a minimum of 20.0 percent local cash match, bringing the total investment to more than $5.8 million.