The US state of Illinois has officially opened its first EV charging station funded through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, with the Illinois Department of Transportation cutting the ribbon for the new charging station located in the town of Casey, just a stones throw away from the major I-70 interstate. The milestone arrives alongside a fresh $23.5 million round of NEVI funding for Illinois, which will support 29 new charging projects along the state’s network of interstates.
The first site to go live was the result of an $854,000 grant awarded to fuel retailer Phillips 66, in collaboration with Meyer Oil and Electrify America, and brings four DC fast chargers to the location in Casey, Illinois. Further charging locations funded through the NEVI program are expected to go live this summer across the rest of Illinois.
The new site is part of a $23.5 million funding round, which is the third to take place the state’s NEVI program, and will see the construction of 140 charging ports across 29 sites, with locations along key routes and at destinations such as town centres and libraries. Each location will offer at least four DC fast charging ports, capable of fully charging a typical EV from empty in under 30 minutes. Other recipients of the grant in this round include Heartland Charging Services, Universal EV, and EVgo.
Illinois joins a growing number of states pressing ahead with NEVI-backed infrastructure. Pennsylvania recently announced a $9 million investment for 12 new charging projects, while Georgia unlocked $24 million for 26 rapid charging sites. The chargers also support Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s target of putting one million EVs on Illinois’ roads by 2030.
Gia Biagi, Illinois Transportation Secretary, commented:
“These new chargers are an important step forward in making the governor’s EV goals a reality, while creating economic opportunity by connecting Illinois communities to a national network of stations. Some of the strongest interest we’re seeing for electric vehicle charging is coming from rural areas that see the benefit of having travelers stop in their towns to charge up and spend their dollars at local stores and businesses. We look forward to adding many more throughout the state in the weeks and months ahead.”
