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Pennsylvania awards $37 million for 515 new EV charging ports

Pennsylvania awards $37 million for 515 new EV charging ports

Built World Philadelphia, PA local

Federal NEVI grants expand the Philadelphia region's public charging network by 27%

Yesterday: PennDOT announces $37M for 515 new EV charging ports

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Pennsylvania announced $37 million in federal grants Wednesday to install 515 new public EV charging ports across the Philadelphia region. The chargers will increase the five counties' public charging capacity by 27% — and Philadelphia's by 53%.

The money comes from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, created by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. PennDOT says 54 NEVI-funded stations are already operating in Pennsylvania — more than double any other state. Construction on the new community chargers should start in 2027 or 2028.

Why it matters

For Philadelphia households without off-street parking, charger access is the main barrier to going electric; this funding shrinks that gap.

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Key Indicators

515
New public EV charging ports
Awarded across five southeastern Pennsylvania counties
$37M
Federal grant funding announced
Distributed to 71 companies and local governments
27%
Regional charging capacity increase
In Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties
53%
Philadelphia charging capacity increase
Philadelphia's public charging ports grow by more than half
54
NEVI stations already operating in Pennsylvania
More than double any other state, per PennDOT
~1,900
Current public charging ports in the region
Baseline before the new 515 ports are added

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People Involved

MC
Mike Carroll
Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Active — announced the $37 million community charging round October 28, 2026
 Josh Shapiro
Josh Shapiro
Governor of Pennsylvania
Active — his administration has directed over $100 million in federal community charging funds
CP
Chris Puchalsky
Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives, Philadelphia Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems
Active — coordinating the city's charger siting

Organizations Involved

PD
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT)
State agency
Administers federal EV charging grants in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's transportation agency, overseeing highways, bridges, and the state's NEVI charging program.
OT
Philadelphia Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (OTIS)
City agency
Coordinates the city's public EV charging expansion

The city office managing transportation, parking, and emerging mobility programs like EV charging.
WI
Wawa, Inc.
Convenience store chain
Grant recipient — awarded $1.7 million for 16 DC fast charging ports at two locations

Regional convenience chain based in the Philadelphia suburbs, adding EV charging at store locations.

Timeline

November 2021 March 2027

6 events Latest: Yesterday
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Central and Eastern Pennsylvania applications close

    Upcoming Deadline

    Third community charging round deadline, per PennDOT's announcement.

  2. First ChargePHL stations targeted to open

    Upcoming Milestone

    City targets January 2027 for the first curbside and parking lot chargers under Chapter 12 contracts.

  3. Western Pennsylvania community charging applications close

    Upcoming Deadline

    PennDOT deadline for the next NEVI community funding round, per the agency's announcement.

  4. PennDOT announces $37M for 515 new EV charging ports

    Latest Funding

    Grants go to 71 companies and local governments across five southeastern counties; construction expected 2027-2028.

  5. Philadelphia introduces ChargePHL legislation

    Legislation

    City Council bill authorizes contracts with two vendors to install 800+ chargers citywide over 10 years; vote was pending.

  6. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law creates NEVI program

    Law

    The $1.2 trillion law establishes the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program with $5 billion for state EV charging networks.

Scenarios

1

Pennsylvania completes 515-charger buildout on schedule

Likely Resolves by End of 2029

Discussed by: PennDOT officials, who project construction in 2027-2028

PennDOT points to its track record — 54 stations already open, 34 more in planning or construction — as evidence the state can deliver. If permitting and utility work move at the current pace, most of the 515 ports could be live by late 2029.

2

Utility and permitting delays push completion past 2030

Possible Resolves by End of 2030

Discussed by: Risk side of PennDOT's stated 2027-2028 construction start

DC fast chargers need substantial electrical upgrades at host sites. Utility interconnection waits and site-specific reviews at shopping centers and curbsides can stretch timelines. A multi-year delay would leave many grants unbuilt past 2030.

3

Pennsylvania expands program to other regions

Likely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: PennDOT, which has opened application windows for Western, Central, and Eastern Pennsylvania

Applications close November 20 for Western PA and March 12 for Central/Eastern PA. Awards would extend the community charging program beyond the five southeastern counties, potentially adding hundreds more ports statewide.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

May 1935

Rural Electrification Act (1935)

Congress created the Rural Electrification Administration to lend federal money to cooperatives building power lines. Private utilities had refused to string lines to farms — too few customers per mile to profit. In 1935, about 10% of American farms had electricity.

Then

Within a decade, thousands of cooperatives had wired rural America; by 1950, roughly 90% of farms had power.

Now

The program established the template of federal capital easing a market failure so infrastructure reaches places private operators skip.

Why this matters now

NEVI community charging does the same for EV chargers in dense city neighborhoods where charging demand is still thin and private investment lags.

1910s–1920s

Rise of the gas station (1910s–1920s)

Early motorists bought gasoline from general stores, hardware shops, and cans kept in the trunk. As car ownership surged after 1910, entrepreneurs built drive-in stations with standardized pumps, and oil companies opened branded chains.

Then

By the late 1920s, branded stations dotted American roads; fueling became fast, predictable, and universal.

Now

Fuel infrastructure scaled with vehicle adoption, resolving the classic chicken-and-egg problem of cars-without-gas and gas-without-cars.

Why this matters now

EV charging sits at the same early stage — hosted in malls, parking lots, and convenience stores. The format will likely consolidate as the electric fleet grows.

Sources

(4)
WHYY Pennsylvania Department of Transportation PA Environment Digest Blog City of Philadelphia Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems