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The Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Grant Program is a federal grant program focused on deploying EV charging on publicly accessible corridors and public roadways, increasing accessibility to EV charging across urban and rural areas alike.
The first tranche of $700M was funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, divided into two program funds focused on Community Charging and Fueling Grants (Community Program) and Alternative Fuel Corridors (Corridor Program). Overall, these grant programs will strategically deploy EV charging stations across various urban and rural communities, increasing publicly accessible charging in downtown areas, underserved and disadvantaged communities, local neighborhoods, and other convenient charging locations.
For an overview of the CFI Program, check out these EC resources:
On May 30, 2024, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the second round of the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Grant Program. Read the EC’s top 10 takeaways from the announcement. The application deadline has been extended to September 11, 2024.
The differences between the first and second rounds of funding are detailed below.
The CFI program specifies two unique streams of funding: one reserved for community charging projects and one reserved for corridor charging projects. The two sub-programs have different eligibility/application requirements, so it is important to know which category your project falls under before pursuing funding.
The EC has created two resources to help applicants determine which category their project falls under.
This flow chart guides users through a series of questions to help them identify which category is appropriate for their project. It also provides a brief overview of next steps, helpful tools, and judging criteria.
This table gives users a detailed summary of the eligibility requirements for both community and corridor projects. It also gives an overview of the project elements that must be addressed in CFI applications.
Note: These resources were created in 2023 for the first round of CFI funding. While minor details may have changed, they are still helpful for entities pursuing second-round funding.
Expert policy analysts at the EC have put together comprehensive outlines for both community and corridor projects to help those seeking CFI funding put together successful applications. The elements included in these outlines are based on official guidance provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and on applications that received funding during the first round of awards.
Note: These outlines were created following the first round of CFI funding. The EC team is in the process of updating them to reflect the latest guidance.
The Dashboard for Rapid Vehicle Electrification (DRVE) Tool provides users with unique, turnkey analysis for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty fleet electrification. Upload simple fleet data into an easy-to-use Excel-based tool that can analyze and assess the best fir for EV deployment within minutes. This tool works for both private-sector and public fleets, including local and state fleets.
The EV Funding Finder is a user-friendly tool that helps eligible recipients sort through available funds for transportation electrification and helps recipients understand how investments can be matched. It can also help users identify where technical assistance is available.
The AFLEET CFI tool is designed to estimate the well-to-wheel greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle operation air pollutant emissions for CFI applications, allowing comparison of the data against current conditions to show GHG emission reductions.
This map provides data across the whole country, highlighting areas exposed to transportation disadvantages. Since CFI emphasizes the need for charging in rural and underserved areas, knowing where and how these needs are not being met is vital to creating a nation-wide publicly accessible charging network.
In addition to further demonstrating locations of disadvantaged communities, this map also shows how those areas crossover with tribal lands, U.S territories, current and pending AFCs, and current public chargers to aide in planning and ensure adequate access to eV chargers across the country.
The GEM tool is a comprehensive online mapping tool that identifies areas that are suitable for low- or no-carbon power generation and other energy-related projects. This tool can help ensure that the intended project area is EVSE–ready and has the grid capacity to support charging, preventing construction and power issues. Additionally, utilization of traffic mapping and data can help applicants plan installation and construction so as not to pose risks to pedestrians or maintenance staff, and to ensure utilization of the U.S. DOT’s National Roadway Safety Strategy’s Safe Systems Approach.
The EC is providing informational resources for helping applicants navigate the grant application process. Our staff are available at infrastructure@electrificationcoalition.org if you have any specific questions or wish to discuss further support our organization can provide for educational and community engagement activities to support EV and charging education allowed under the CFI Grant Program.
© 2024 ELECTRIFICATION COALITION
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Amy Malaki is the head of policy and sustainability at SkyNRG and SkyNRG Americas, pioneering global leaders in sustainable aviation fuel production and supply. Prior to SkyNRG, Amy was the associate director for the transportation portfolio at the ClimateWorks Foundation where she developed philanthropic investment strategies to advance a sustainable, equitable and low-carbon mobility system. She also pioneered the organization’s international aviation decarbonization strategy. Prior to that she focused on Asia business development at Better Place, a Silicon Valley electric vehicle network startup. She has a B.A. in Chinese and China studies from the University of Washington and an M.A. in international policy studies (energy and environment) from Stanford University.