What are the Changes that were Recently made to the NEVI Program and How Will They Affect the Outcome?

After seven months of anticipation, the Department of Transportation has released updated “interim final” guidance for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program. Industry reaction has been, to put it mildly, underwhelming. Despite months of waiting, the guidance offers very few substantive changes, instead leaning heavily on political framing and general language. The most notable takeaway is that it formally eliminates prior EV mandates—a point that may sound significant, but the previous final guidance didn’t actually require EV deployment, making this a largely symbolic adjustment.

What You Need to Know About the Changes

Many of the program’s previous priorities have effectively been erased. Environmental and social impact considerations for charger siting are no longer emphasized. Steps to ensure that chargers are installed in communities where EV adoption could save money for lower-income residents have been removed. Incentives to promote minority- and women-owned businesses are gone. These changes represent a literal whitewashing of the original guidance, stripping away language that aimed to make the NEVI program socially and environmentally equitable.

In place of these provisions, the guidance gives states more autonomy over how to deploy charging stations, provides support for medium- and heavy-duty vehicle charging, and offers operational suggestions that the industry has already been implementing independently. In other words, the document largely codifies what states and private operators have already been figuring out on their own. While there is some value in giving states flexibility, the guidance does little to drive new innovation or expansion, leaving many stakeholders questioning the need for such a lengthy review period.

The timing of this release also highlights the contrast between federal guidance and on-the-ground progress. Despite strong headwinds, proactive states have continued to move forward with NEVI-funded infrastructure, installing more than 60 new stations this year alone. As of August 12, the total number of NEVI-funded stations stands at 106, a figure achieved without waiting for federal bureaucracy to catch up. These results underscore the fact that the EV charging market is dynamic and capable of progress even in the absence of sweeping federal directives.

In an environment where efficiency and results are supposed to be prioritized, the “interim final” guidance took months of review, drafting, and deliberation while delivering minimal actionable outcomes. The NEVI program, which has the potential to shape the future of U.S. EV infrastructure, risks losing momentum if additional awards remain paused. Industry leaders, state officials, and EV drivers alike are ready to see infrastructure deployed, not just policy papers.

Where is the NEVI Program Going?

The industry has proven it can innovate and expand even amid regulatory uncertainty. Now, it’s time to un-pause the remaining awards, continue building stations, and ensure that drivers across the country have the charging access they need. The NEVI program has the resources, the framework, and the state-level leadership to move forward—what it doesn’t need is another round of guidance that says what the market is already doing. Let’s start charging.

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