Arkansas awards $15M for EV charging stations

Driving the news: An estimated 40 EVs waited in line to use six charging stations in Van Buren after last week's solar eclipse.

Context: NEVI funding can only be used for EV charging infrastructure that is open to the public or to commercial EV operators from more than one company.

• The federal program, which provides funding to state departments of transportation to strategically build an EV charging station infrastructure, provides up to 80% of the cost to build each station.
• The remaining 20% must come from the private sector.

The intrigue: It took two years for the first EV charging station funded by NEVI to switch on in Ohio.

Zoom in: The 19 projects funded in Arkansas include locations along interstates 40 and 30, but only one in NWA at a Jiffy Trip in Siloam Springs.

• Funds awarded to each project range from $479,000 at the Cracker Barrel in Alma to $1.75 million at a truck stop in Pine Bluff.

What we're watching: No deadline has been announced for the 19 charging stations to be complete.