The Illinois Department of Transportation announced last week it has been awarded $7.1 million in federal funds to fix electric vehicle chargers available to the public statewide. The funding, made possible through the Federal Highway Administration’s Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Program, helps support Gov. JB Pritzker’s goal to have 1 million EVs on the road in Illinois by 2030.   

The grant will repair, replace or upgrade an estimated 93 Level 2 ports and 34 Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) ports at various locations throughout the state. A complete list can be found on IDOT’s website, idot.illinois.gov.

The new funding for EV charging infrastructure further expands the state’s efforts toward a clean energy future. Progress under Gov. Pritzker includes the 2021 signing of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, which places Illinois on a path to 100% clean energy by 2045. IDOT is administering the state’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, targeting release of the first notice of funding opportunity in early 2024. For more information, visit IDOT’s Drive Electric Illinois page.

Earlier this month, Gov. Pritzker announced that the Illinois Finance Authority will receive $14.9 million to support construction of new charging stations as part of the State of Illinois Community Charging Program, expanding the network statewide, filling in gaps and providing better service to disadvantaged communities. 

This also comes after a winter storm caused massive issues in Chicago where some drivers reported charging stations weren't working, and those working were taking much longer than usual to charge leading to multiple Teslas and other cars having to be towed due to the cold weather.