NEVI Reboots for 2026: What the $885M Federal Restart Means for Everyday Charging Access
The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program spent much of 2025 in limbo after a funding freeze, but the picture changed heading into 2026. A federal court order pushed the Federal Highway Administration to issue new interim guidance and restore funds to states, and the agency has apportioned roughly $885 million for fiscal year 2026 — even as a $500 million reduction to the broader program was signed into law in February.
Just as important as the dollar figure is the new flexibility. Updated guidance lets states run consolidated solicitations, deploy funds beyond designated highway corridors, and — after light-duty corridors are built out — direct money toward medium- and heavy-duty charging and upgrades of existing sites. Roughly nine states have opened or reopened funding rounds, with a dozen more expected to solicit in the first quarter of the year.
For drivers, the takeaway is less about the political back-and-forth and more about pace: the fixed network is still catching up to the vehicles already on the road. That gap between corridor build-out and everyday access is exactly where mobile, come-to-you charging fits — a backstop for the routes and neighborhoods the grid of stations hasn't reached yet.
The federal charging build-out is back in motion after a 2025 pause: the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program has roughly $885 million apportioned for fiscal year 2026, paired with revised U.S. DOT guidance that gives states more flexibility in how they deploy the money. What has not loosened is the reliability bar. Under the federal minimum standards, a NEVI-funded fast-charging site must offer at least four 150 kW DC ports, stay open to the public 24/7, and keep each port operational at least 97% of the time on an annual basis. A port only counts as "up" when its hardware and software are both online and it can actually dispense electricity at the required power level. That 97% figure is the whole reason a service like ours exists — hitting it takes disciplined preventive maintenance, fast fault response, and honest uptime reporting, not a charger that someone bolts down and forgets.
Sources: U.S. DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center — NEVI Formula Program; ACT News — The United States of NEVI; Joint Office of Energy and Transportation — Drive Electric
