Tritium DCFC, a high-speed electric vehicle charger manufacturer, announced on Tuesday its first federal-funded order from Hawaii. This marks the initial implementation of the U.S. government’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program (NEVI).

Het vijfjarenprogramma, gericht op het stimuleren van het gebruik van elektrische voertuigen, is van plan om $5 miljard toe te wijzen aan staten voor het plaatsen van 500.000 opladers langs snelwegen en autowegen.

Hawaï haalde $2,6 miljoen binnen in de eerste financieringsronde in september en gebruikte het om 32 Tritium-laders van 150 kilowatt en 16 stroomaggregaten aan te schaffen.

“These fast chargers are expected to be among the first funded and installed under the NEVI program,” Tritium, based in Brisbane, Australia, declared in a statement.

In total, Hawaii is projected to receive over $17.6 million from the NEVI initiative. The funds have been instrumental to President Joe Biden’s strategies for addressing climate change and job creation locally. To qualify, companies must incorporate the U.S. standard Combined Charging System (CCS) into their chargers.

“Hawai’i is committed to leading the nation in our e-mobility transition and grateful for Tritium’s partnership in this effort,” said Hawai’i Department of Transportation Director Edwin Sniffen. “We’re confident that Tritium’s chargers will provide the fast and reliable service Hawai’i needs as we bolster our EV infrastructure statewide.”

However, this comes as states like Texas and Washington have expressed intentions to require the North American Charging Standard (NACS) used by Tesla, alongside CCS.

Deze beslissing, die werd ingegeven door het feit dat grote autofabrikanten de technologie invoeren, heeft geleid tot weerstand van sommige oplaadbedrijven. Zij stellen dat er meer tijd nodig is om de veiligheid en interoperabiliteit van Tesla connectoren te standaardiseren, te testen en te verifiëren.

“The State of Hawai’i has long been dependent on petroleum for their energy supply, but with this new influx of DC fast-charging infrastructure, we are paving the way for a significant shift in their energy mix and a substantial leap towards greater energy independence,” said Mike Calise, Tritium’s President of the Americas. “NEVI has created an unprecedented opportunity for states across America to revolutionize their EV charging infrastructure. By creating more equitable access to fast chargers, we are not only shaping a sustainable and resilient future for American communities, but also driving a nationwide transformation towards clean transportation.”

Tritium, dat van plan is om tegen eind 2023 of begin 2024 NACS-connectoren in zijn laders op te nemen, steunde de overstap echter wel. Dit werd bevestigd in een brief die Tritium maandag naar Texas stuurde, volgens Reuters.

Deze ontwikkeling onderstreept het evoluerende landschap van de infrastructuur voor elektrische voertuigen en de voortdurende inzet voor duurzame transportoplossingen.

Foto met dank aan Tritium.