INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The Federal Highway Administration has approved Indiana's plan to use funding from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program to build a statewide electric vehicle charging network.

The plans approval allows the state to work with private and public partners to begin investing nearly $100 million over the next five years to bolster the availability of EV charging infrastructure across the state.

"A robust network of convenient, reliable charging infrastructure is essential to addressing range anxiety for electric vehicle owners,” INDOT Commissioner Mike Smith said. “Through the NEVI program, Indiana will work with private and public partners to make strategic investments in charging infrastructure along our highways to support the growing number of EV’s traveling throughout our state.”

Over the next few years, the funds must be invested in fast charging stations that are compliant with federal guidelines. Some guidelines include, each station must have at least four ports that can simultaneously charge at 150 kilowatts, be located along every 50 miles of the Alternative Fuel Corridors, less than one mile from an exit or intersection, and be accessible to the public 24 hours a day.

The plan also prioritizes providing access to and benefit from EV charging stations for disadvantaged communities in both urban and rural areas.

The vehicle infrastructure program will fund 80% of the installation of EV charging stations along with five years of operations and attendance with the remaining 20% of costs to be funded by site owner operators.

The state anticipates seeking proposals from potential owner-operators by mid-2023 with the initial charging station installations to begin in 2024.

For more information about Indiana's Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment, visit the INDOT website.