Contact: Noah Barnes, Electrification Coalition
nbarnes@electrificationcoalition.org, (202) 461-2371
INDIANAPOLIS—The Electrification Coalition (EC) commends the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) for publishing the Indiana Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan. The INDOT’s comprehensive plan is how the state plans to administrate its allocation of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program funds created in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The plan covers a broad subject of transportation electrification from the deployment of a statewide electric vehicle (EV) charging network to building EV charging infrastructure along its alternative fuel corridors to accelerate Indiana’s electric mobility future.
Indiana is scheduled to receive $100 million of NEVI funding over the next five years. The EC commends Indiana for creating a robust state plan, which represents a significant investment in the future of electric transportation. In doing so, Indiana will boost its economy and ensure that EV drivers can travel across the state with ease and confidence. The investment will also bring new EV charging stations to rural and disadvantaged communities across the state.
“Indiana is taking a critical step toward ensuring that all of its communities have greater access to EV charging infrastructure,” said Ben Prochazka, executive director of the EC. “We are excited to see the Hoosier State continue its dedication to transportation electrification, which will reduce our dependence on oil and the associated national and economic security risks.”
“To maximize this historic investment, we urge Indiana’s leaders to prioritize bold policies that will take advantage of the state’s manufacturing potential to be a critical part of the domestic electric vehicle supply chain,” said Prochazka. “A strong Hoosier economy depends on state leaders passing additional policies to facilitate the widespread and rapid adoption of EVs so that all Indiana’s communities can access the benefits of transportation electrification.”
To be a regional and national transportation electrification leader, the EC urges Indiana to take the following policy actions:
- Demonstrate proactive leadership: Leaders should prioritize key manufacturing incentives and policies that build out the EV supply chain manufacturing within the state, such as the recent announcement of a new EV battery factory in Kokomo, IN. Leaders should look to leverage the state’s legacy of auto manufacturing and proactive leadership to ensure it does not fall behind other neighboring states.
- Increase consumer access to EVs: Ensure EV availability in the state by adopting key policies that will expand the freedom of consumers to buy the EV of their choice.
- Investing in disadvantaged communities (DACs) and rural communities: Indiana must recognize transportation equity is a critical factor when distributing NEVI funding. INDOT and other state agencies need to maintain an open dialogue with electric transportation advocates, civil rights groups, and rural, tribal, and historically underserved populations to further advance the goals of transportation equity outlined in their NEVI plan.
- Prepare for medium- and heavy-duty electrification: Current funding opportunities present an opportunity to plan for transportation needs beyond light-duty vehicles. Indiana should sign on in support of the NESCAUM medium- and heavy-duty MOU, and integrate key policies laid out in the recently released action plan into the 2023 Indiana Multimodal Freight Plan, which would allow Indiana to set and meet electrification goals across all vehicle classes.
- Use lessons learned from the Volkswagen settlement funds: Indiana should utilize the best practices created in the Indiana VW Committee from the distribution of Volkswagen settlement funds to inform how the state should distribute and implement its NEVI funds, especially when electrifying Indiana’s medium and heavy-duty infrastructure.
- Continue elevated regional coordination: Indiana’s continued efforts to align its investments with regional partners through engagements with the REV Midwest Coalition, the Lake Michigan EV Circuit Tour, the Mid America Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO), and the neighboring departments of transportation to advance a more reliable charging network for Hoosiers to travel throughout the Midwest region.
Fostering these investments in the future of electric transportation will benefit Indiana’s economy and signal to the global automotive industry Indiana’s growing commitment to and leadership in transportation electrification.
With over a decade of experience developing and deploying cutting-edge tools and resources to support the mass adoption of electric vehicles, the EC is a trusted partner supporting states, local governments, and communities across the country with the policies and projects to drive our electric transportation future. The EC is ready to build on its work in Indiana to support the efficient, effective, and equitable deployment of charging infrastructure through the NEVI state plan.
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About the Electrification Coalition: The Electrification Coalition is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that advances policies and actions to facilitate the widespread deployment of electric vehicles to overcome the economic, public health, and national security challenges that stem from America’s dependence on oil. For more information, visit electrificationcoalition.org.