Wisconsin Awards $25 Million for 42 Fast-Charging Sites and at Least 168 New Ports
- EVs Infrastructure & Grid Connection News
Marin Holt
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- 7 minutes read
- Federal award: $25 million
- Stations funded: 42
- Minimum new fast-charging ports: 168
- NEVI committed to date: $62.1 million across 120 locations
- Stations operating now: 26
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation awarded $25 million in federal money on September 8 for 42 direct-current fast-charging stations. The sites run from Milwaukee and Madison out to Sturgeon Bay, Eagle River and Prairie du Chien. Governor Tony Evers announced the grants. They come from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, which the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law created. Every funded site must install at least four CCS ports rated to deliver 150 kW at the same time. That floor puts a minimum of 168 new fast-charging ports on the ground. Individual awards run from about $397,000 to roughly $930,000. The largest goes to Walker’s Point Plaza in Milwaukee. WisDOT has now committed $62.1 million of NEVI money to 120 charging locations statewide.
Why It Matters
Wisconsin has finished the part of NEVI that every state had to do first. Federal rules required stations no more than 50 miles apart along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors, which in practice meant the interstates. The state says it has cleared that bar. This round therefore moves money onto US 10, US 12, US 18, US 45, US 61 and US 63, plus 12 state highways. That shift matters for fleet operators and rural drivers who never touch an interstate on a working day. It also changes who hosts the hardware. The award list runs to Kwik Trip fuel stops, hotels in Boscobel, Dodgeville and Watertown, and a Woodman’s grocery store in Madison. Purpose-built charging plazas are not on it.
Critical Perspective
WisDOT has now committed $62.1 million across 120 charging locations, and 26 of them are open. That ratio, not the 42 new awards, is the number worth watching. The department says usage at the operating sites is strong but has published no session counts, so the one claim that would justify another $25 million is the one nobody outside the agency can check. What happens to the funded locations still unbuilt if the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law lapses at the end of September with no reauthorization?
What the Award List Shows
WisDOT named Autel, Gilbarco and Tesla as hardware suppliers for the funded sites. The department has not said how many of the 42 locations will carry NACS connectors beside the required CCS ports. It does report that 93 percent of its already-operating chargers carry NACS. Federal grants cover up to 80 percent of eligible project costs, and each recipient puts up at least 20 percent of the rest. Of the 120 locations Wisconsin has funded since the program started, 26 operate today. WisDOT says those sites see strong use. The agency released no session counts or energy figures to support that, so the claim rests on its own word.
The Funding Question Behind the Announcement
This money survived a court fight. The federal government suspended NEVI in 2025 while it reviewed the program guidance. Wisconsin joined a multistate lawsuit, and a judge later barred the government from withholding the funds. The awards now land days before the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law expires at the end of September. Congress has not passed a long-term reauthorization. Evers asked the state congressional delegation last week to approve a bill that keeps road, bridge and charging money moving. Wisconsin controls what it already holds. It has no basis to plan a fourth round on money that does not yet exist.
Sources
- Electrek, “Wisconsin is adding 42 new EV fast-charging stations” (Sept. 8, 2026)
- EV Infrastructure News, “Wisconsin awards funding for 42 new EV charging stations” (Sept. 10, 2026)
- electrive, “Wisconsin to add 42 new fast-charging stations” (Sept. 11, 2026)
- Gov. Tony Evers and WisDOT, announcement of grants for 42 new EV charging stations (Sept. 8, 2026)
- Wisconsin DOT, Electric Vehicles in Wisconsin program page
