EV Connect announced the expansion of its ecosystem of partners eligible to serve charging network owners and operators participating in the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program from the U.S. Department of Transportation. In collaboration with its extensive network of NEVI-compliant solution partners and service providers, EV Connect said it will deliver EV charging for state-level transportation initiatives.

The goal of the $5 billion program is to deploy DC fast-charging infrastructure and eligible projects that can offset up to 80% of qualifying expenses through NEVI grants. To help states meet the rigorous program criteria, including charging experience, uptime, reporting, and cybersecurity, NEVI participants can work with companies in the charging industry ecosystem, including:

• Financing partners like Luminace provide the capital resources required to fund the expansion of charging infrastructure;
• Infrastructure equipment providers such as Schneider Electric supply electrical switchgear and panels for microgrids and grid reliability;
• Installation contractors like those available through Qmerit;
• Hardware manufacturers with OCPP and NEVI-compliant hardware, such as ABB E-Mobility, BTC POWER, FreeWire, Tritium, and Zerova;
• Operations and maintenance specialists like InCharge Energy, Pearce and Qmerit.

In September 2022, the Federal Highway Administration approved Hawaii’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan, granting the state access to $2.6 million of NEVI funding in FY2022. EV Connect was selected as the charging management solution provider in what was among the first such deployments funded and installed under the NEVI program. Since then, the EV Connect charging management solution has been deployed as part of NEVI-supported charging projects in Colorado, Hawaii, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

The EV Connect platform delivers the charging network management features required for compliance with NEVI mandates, the company said. The platform also includes network branding options through a NEVI-compliant white label platform and driver app, which allows NEVI participants to maintain brand identities without cumbersome and costly customization work.

EV Connect said the system is also ready for plug and charge operation under the ISO 15118 standard, as well as advanced features such as bi-directional charging, heightened security, standardized station screen messaging, advanced remote diagnostics and more.