Massachusetts will get some federal money for EV chargers after all – The Boston Globe

Another $14 million or so expected in future years may never reach the state, however.

“We are working to utilize that funding as quickly and efficiently as possible,” the department said in a statement to the Globe. “We anticipate some NEVI projects coming online this year and substantial progress to be made on the rest.”

The federal agency declined to address Massachusetts specifically and said it is “working to fix” the program. “During this process, no new obligations may occur under the program, but reimbursement of existing obligations will continue,” the agency said in a statement to the Globe.

The state’s first five approved stations will be along I-495 in Wrentham and Littleton, along I-195 in Wareham, and along Route 2 in North Adams and Lancaster. The stations will be built by the three companies the state selected last year: Applegreen and Global Partners, which both operate gas stations and convenience stores statewide, as well as construction and engineering firm Weston & Sampson.

Another 16 sites have been selected by the contractors for new stations and are moving through the approval process, state officials said.

Global said it was building its stations at convenient locations with amenities. “Providing a reliable and convenient charging experience is crucial for adoption of electric vehicles,” said James Cater, Global’s senior director of sustainability strategy and innovation.

Applegreen highlighted that its chargers, unlike some rivals, will not require a special app or membership. “It’s a simple, open, and truly accessible charging experience for everyone,” a spokesperson said.

Weston & Sampson declined to comment.

Massachusetts is not using federal funds to add fast charging stations on one of the state’s most popular highways, the Mass Turnpike. Instead, the state is currently seeking a new operator to run the retail and refueling operations at Pike rest stops and will require that operator to build more EV fast chargers.

The number of EVs on the road in Massachusetts reached almost 90,000 at the beginning of the year, plus another 50,000 plug-in hybrids. Despite a nationwide slowdown in EV sales growth, the number of battery-powered vehicles increased 33 percent from the beginning of 2024.

Massachusetts’ effort to build rapid EV charging stations with federal money has progressed more slowly than most states, jeopardizing some or all of the funding once Trump was elected.

Massachusetts and only 14 other states, most deeply Republican and opposed to EVs, had yet to award any of their funding when Trump took office, according to research firm Paren. By that time, New York, Pennsylvania, Maine, and Rhode Island had opened multiple stations and Ohio already had 19 new stations funded by the law.

Even without the federal subsidies, private companies have built hundreds of charging stations in Massachusetts in recent years. The subsidy program was supposed to fill in gaps, especially in low-income, rural, or other areas that did not attract private investment. A Globe survey of Boston-area census tracts last year found that the higher the Black population of an area, the fewer the car chargers.

Aaron Pressman can be reached at aaron.pressman@globe.com. Follow him @ampressman.