$41M could bring 40 new EV fast-charging sites to Minnesota

Minnesota is planning a big expansion of fast EV charging stations, this time reaching beyond the state's three main interstates. The state's transportation department is offering $41.2 million in federal funding to build up to 40 new fast-charging sites in "Greater Minnesota" — areas outside the I-35, I-90, and I-94 corridors that were covered in earlier funding rounds. There are 74 possible locations, though only one station can be funded in each area.

If you live outside those main interstate corridors, this could mean a new fast charger somewhere near you in the next year or two. Any station built with this money must have at least four plugs of each major connector type (NACS, used by Tesla and increasingly other automakers, and CCS1, the standard used by most other EVs), fast charging speeds of at least 150 kW, an accessible parking space, and good lighting and security. Stations also have to clear snow within two hours of a storm ending. The businesses or organizations that win the funding will own and run the chargers, covering 20 percent of the cost themselves while the federal government pays the rest.

This builds on Minnesota's earlier charging rounds, which funded 24 stations along the interstates — eight of those are already open, with the rest under construction. The state says its number of registered electric vehicles has grown tenfold since 2018, from about 9,000 to 90,000, which is part of why officials are pushing to fill in charging gaps on other highways. Applications for this new round are due November 2, with awards expected by early 2027.