LANSING, MI – A federal grant program is giving the city of Lansing $8 million to expand its electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
State and Federal Highway Administration officials met in Michigan’s capital city Friday, Jan. 12, to announce Lansing as one of 47 applicants for the first wave of Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Program grants.
The plan is to use the funds to install up to 50 additional electric vehicle charging stations throughout Clinton, Eaton and Ingham counties.
The first of the chargers will be deployed no later than December 2025, with all stations in place by 2029, state officials said. Users of the public stations are expected to be charged a fee, though the exact rate hasn’t yet been decided.
“Electric vehicles are a key part of our clean energy future. But you can’t drive one without access to convenient charging stations,” U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow said in a prepared statement.
“This investment will help ensure we have more public charging stations in Mid Michigan so that it’s easier for people to drive the electric vehicles being made here in Michigan.”
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In total, the EV grant program allocated nearly $622.6 million to expand publicly accessible charging infrastructure around the country.
The funds come from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Congress approved in 2021 and included $7.5 billion to expand the nation’s electric vehicle charging network.
President Joe Biden set the goal of reaching 500,000 chargers by 2030. Grant dollars are meant to expand EV charging and alternative fueling infrastructure, particularly in rural and disadvantaged communities.
Most of the recipients for this wave of grants are investing in EV charging, though a few states like California, Colorado and Texas applied to add hydrogen fueling infrastructure.
Related: Michigan and Canada plan ‘abundant’ EV charging across bi-national corridor
“As the number of EVs on our roadways continues to grow, we must build out a robust and reliable charging network,” U.S. Sen. Gary Peters said in a prepared statement. “This investment will put state of the art critical infrastructure in the communities where people live and work, creating jobs and supporting a successful, responsible EV transition.”
Michigan’s share of the funds were awarded to the Michigan Capitol Area Regional EV Charging Gateway Initiative. It’s a partnership that includes the cities of Lansing and East Lansing, plus nearby townships, the Michigan Department of Transportation, local utility provider Lansing Board of Water & Light, and the Lansing School District.
The initiative seeks to increase EV charging options and alternative fueling infrastructure for commercial and public vehicles over the course of five years.
Lansing Mayor Andy Schor said the grant will help move the region toward a greener future by expanding infrastructure for energy-efficient electric vehicles.
The state has secured more than $150 million through state and federal programs to build out Michigan’s electric vehicle charging network, which now includes more than 2,600 chargers, according to the Michigan Infrastructure Office.
Progress on the national network of publicly available chargers has been slow. As of Dec. 2023, only Ohio and New York had opened charging stations funded through the national program, with construction underway in other states.
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