Arizona Infrastructure Bill Charging Station Locations Announced – CleanTechnica

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Sometimes, it can feel like the Infrastructure Bill funding is going slower than molasses when it comes to getting EV charging stations installed and running. Some states were a LOT more efficient than others in applying for and getting the funds out to contractors than others. However, it’s also important to remember that this is generally how federally-funded highway projects go. Anti-EV FUDsters and right-wing edgelords online are telling us that this is a sign of failure by the Biden administration, but it wouldn’t have been any faster under Trump, George W. Bush, or his dad, or even the mythical Ronald Reagan.

Fairness in argument completely aside, it’s still good to see when progress happens. Not only do we need the charging stations, but we also need to prove to people that EV road trips are possible. So, it’s great news that Arizona has finally gotten the ball rolling on actual station locations!

Some Quick Background

Before I go on, let’s talk briefly about what the Infrastructure Bill’s NEVI program is and where we are on that. The Infrastructure Bill provided funding for states to contract with private companies to put in charging stations all over the United States. The goal in the end is to cover not only the interstate highways, but all highways in the National Highway System. The non-interstate roads in the system include not only some (but not all) US highways, but also includes some state and local roads that are strategically or economically important at the national level.

In this first phase, the goal is to cover only the interstate highways. Every state was required to come up with a plan to leave gaps of no longer than 50 miles between charging stations. Each station has to have at least 4 CCS plugs (other plugs can be included, as long as there are 4 CCS plugs) with enough power to keep all stations charging at 150 kW or faster.

The most recent map and table from Arizona DOT shows the locations where a contractor has been selected to install a charging station at specific locations.

The Locations Chosen

Download a PDF with a list of stations, addresses, etc. here.

While the stations don’t look like they’re numerous, it’s important to note that AZ DOT is trying to save money from this round for other rounds to cover more miles of highway in the state. Even so, the state and the contractors DOT is working with did come up with some pretty good sites.

Coming in along I-10 from New Mexico, the state chose a site pretty early in San Simon. This makes for a small gap between it and the next station in Lordsburg, New Mexico. San Simon isn’t a big town by any stretch, but it’s got decent access to the highway and amenities that make for a decent station at a truck stop.

The next station is going to be in Willcox, a larger town that’s situated at the top of a steep climb coming from Tucson (Texas Canyon). This station will be put in by Tesla, who will presumably be upgrading the existing V2 Supercharger to something newer (V3, V4, or a V3/V4 hybrid setup) that supports both CCS and NACS (Tesla plug) charging. It’s not clear whether it’s going to be new stalls or upgrades for existing stalls.

Further down the road near Tucson, Tesla will be putting in a new station that will have CCS and NACS plugs at a Rudy’s BBQ restaurant. Going down I-19, there will be two new stations to provide CCS charging for trips to Nogales and Mexico. Trillium and Francis Energy will be doing those.

Casa Grande (where I-10 and I-8 meet) will get two new sets of CCS stalls. A truck stop near Eloy will get a Trillium CCS charging station, and Culver’s (a restaurant) will be getting an upgrade to its Tesla Supercharger to support CCS vehicles.

Interstate 8 will be getting two new stations. Tesla will be adding a CCS/NACS station in Tacna (almost to Yuma), and Trillium will be adding some CCS stalls open to all vehicles in Gila Bend. This should allow for a much easier trip out to San Diego! For the trip to Los Angeles along I-10, the Pilot travel center in at Vicksburg Rd will be giving more CCS charging options. Combined with some GM-funded stations out that way and Superchargers opening up, it should be a lot easier to make that trip soon, too.

Interstate 17 is also going to get some very important upgrades. As steep as the route is climbing out of Phoenix, extra stations are needed. Arizona DOT seems to have listened to public input on this, and the staff chose locations in Cordes Junction, Camp Verde, and Munds Park. This means that even EVs pulling trailers with smaller batteries should be able to make the trip up to Flagstaff.

I-40 is also getting some much-needed stations nearby in Lake Havasu, and along the highway in Kingman, Seligman, Meteor Crater, and Holbrook.

Stations That Need Contractor Proposals

Sadly, there are three badly-needed stations that nobody put in a proposal for! So, if you’re an EV charging company looking to get into the business, you might consider throwing your hat in the ring.

One site near Tonopah along I-10 needs more coverage, as this is an important gap between Phoenix and Salome. There are some gas stations in the area that could probably serve as hosts, but nobody has even asked.

Another two stations are needed along I-40 between Holbrook and the New Mexico state line. AZ DOT hoped to put one at the Petrified Forest National Park (mislabeled on the map as a national forest) and at Sanders. These are both great interstate exits, and the Petrified Forest is a great place to get business. The visitor center is before the admission gate, so it should be a great place to set up shop.

Despite the lack of participation at these sites, the rest of the plan will make a big impact on charging in Arizona!

Featured image by Arizona DOT.