Arizona Updates Its EV Charging Plans

Arizona’s Division of Transportation lately held a gathering updating the general public on its EV charging plans for the Infrastructure Invoice, and took the time to get extra enter from the general public. On this article, I’ll cowl a few of the highlights from that assembly.

However first, right here’s the video if you wish to watch the entire thing for your self. I’ll summarize issues under the video.

Some Background

Earlier than I cowl the important thing issues from this assembly, I wish to rapidly put this assembly in context. For folks unfamiliar with NEVI and the Infrastructure Invoice (aka “Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation,” amongst different names), it’s the federal authorities’s plan to spend billions on EV charging infrastructure, beginning with america’ Interstate Highways. This system is being carried out by state departments of transportation, which needed to submit plans to spend the cash and meet federal necessities.

These necessities had been:

• At the least 4 150 kW CCS stalls per station
• Have to be inside one mile of the freeway
• Sufficient energy for all 4 to cost at 150 kW concurrently
• No gaps larger than 50 miles alongside interstates

There are conditions the place the above won’t be doable, so states had been capable of ask for a waiver of the necessities if there was a legitimate purpose (lack of electrical energy, terrain, and many others).

The plan’s final replace assembly was held a few 12 months in the past, and I coated that right here. Additionally, I found out earlier this 12 months that Arizona is probably going to make use of Tesla’s Magic Dock expertise to meet NEVI necessities in no less than one city.

Since these earlier conferences, the charging panorama has modified in some pretty massive methods, with the largest growth being a number of automakers selecting to undertake Tesla’s NACS plug beginning in 2025. As I defined in one other article, this doesn’t change the federal necessities, however states have been capable of adapt their plans to higher match this new scenario.

Issues From Arizona’s Newest Assembly

A lot of the start of the assembly was housekeeping, but it surely was spectacular that they managed to current the assembly in English, Spanish, and Navajo (Dine). As soon as they’d everyone in control on the way to take part totally within the assembly of their language, they began with their presentation (about 22 minutes into the video above).

They then spent a while protecting some background data (which I coated within the final part), which ran till in regards to the 31:30 mark within the video. So, should you’re solely in search of the most recent data, you should definitely skip to that time.

The very first thing they did was clarify the “staged strategy” the state is taking, which is admittedly required by the NEVI program. Yr one’s plan (which hasn’t led to any stations being constructed but) was only for Arizona’s interstate highways (excluding the tiny stretch of I-15 that passes from Vegas to St. George, Utah). Now, the state is including extra corridors alongside U.S. and state highways that serve key transportation wants outdoors of the interstates.

These new corridors and the explanations they had been chosen most likely appear apparent to individuals who have traveled within the area. The 2023 replace (pink strains) provides a connection to Las Vegas, connects to each rims of the Grand Canyon (Arizona’s key vacationer web site), connects to the bigger cities within the White Mountains, and ties I-10 and I-40 collectively alongside the California state line. It additionally serves so as to add a big connection to no less than three reservations, which helps fulfill federal necessities.

In subsequent years, extra corridors are going to get some love, together with the remainder of the route between Phoenix and Vegas, Sedona, Sierra Vista/Huachuca, Douglas, and the remainder of the Navajo Nation, amongst a number of different key locations.

Right here’s a map of the proposed websites alongside these upcoming corridors:

It’s essential to notice that even with this plan, the station development gained’t truly begin till a few 12 months after the contractor will get chosen for every web site. The interstate stations haven’t but even made that time, so the 2023 replace stations are no less than a few years out.

Arizona Is Open To NACS & Different Connectors

ADOT hasn’t introduced something particular but, however they’ve clearly been watching the information. They identified that the NEVI program requires CCS, however permits for different plugs. On the subject of necessities for these different plug sorts, they mentioned, “ADOT is evaluating the feasibility of together with non-CCS connectors as a part of our ongoing contracting course of to ascertain chargers on the interstates.”

Given the tremendously elevated momentum round NACS, this most likely means it’s going to occur prefer it did in Texas.

Q&A Time

Attendees had some nice questions that had clearly been thought out. Key factors that the ADOT shared within the Q&A:

• They’ll positively work with EV mapping apps and community
• Reliability goes to be essential
• Some stations will get greater than 4 stalls, others may have additional energy supplied for future station progress.
• They need contractors to contemplate pull-through charging for trailers, shade canopies, and different web site enhancements. These choices shall be made with particular person contractors on a per-site foundation.
• It was onerous sufficient discovering sufficient energy of any form in any respect websites, however they wish to use NEVI funding so as to add photo voltaic and battery as wanted on extra distant roads.

Shortcomings

There are some issues with the plan that should be addressed.

Within the Q&A, the Hopi Tribe’s lawyer indicated that they wish to be extra concerned and get extra of the infrastructure put in at their journey facilities alongside I-40 and different highways. Sadly, they really feel that they haven’t been labored with and maybe ignored within the web site choice course of, whereas the Navajo Nation and others have been engaged with.

One other apparent drawback is simply how gradual the method of NEVI funding goes. The 2022 plan gained’t occur for years, and the 2023 plan gained’t occur till no less than a 12 months after that. This isn’t an issue that’s distinctive to Arizona in any respect, but it surely’s clear that the gears of presidency and contracting are inclined to go very, very gradual. A state that prides itself on being enterprise pleasant ought to have the ability to discover methods to hurry the method up, however that’s an enormous factor to get away with in a forms.

Hopefully these points are labored on within the coming months.

Featured picture: a screenshot from the ADOT presentation.

 

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