Minnesota Department of Transportation

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Electric vehicle infrastructure

Electric vehicle infrastructure

Greater Minnesota Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Community Program

The Greater Minnesota EV Infrastructure Community Program serves MnDOT's vision and directly contributes to the state's legislative goals to lower greenhouse gas emissions through Minnesota's Climate Action Framework as a comprehensive multimodal transportation system.

About the program

We're seeking eligible organizations interested in in collaborating with us to support electric vehicle (EV) charging sites. The Greater Minnesota EV Infrastructure Community Program identifies, designs, and constructs additional electric vehicle charging sites across Minnesota using funds secured under the federal Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Community Program. This EV program will select participants representing up to 42 sites (mostly level 2 chargers) across the state.

Two-phase program

  • Phase 1: Preconstruction (now open)
    • Pre-application via the optional EV interest form: We'll use this information to help us understand the general interest in the program. We won't use it to select the program participants. (February 2026, closed)
    • Full application: We'll use the full application process to select the program participants.
  • Phase 2: Construction (summer 2027, pending funding)

Program goals

This program is embedded under our Emerging Mobilities Unit whose work focuses on innovation in shared mobility, mobility-as-a-service (MaaS), and transit technology to meet community needs across Greater Minnesota.

We'll prioritize funding for the following types of sites:

  • Multi-modal hubs and shared-use fleets/services:  EV charging projects that include electrification of existing or planned new shared mobility services will receive priority for funding over other requests.
  • Rural area charging solutions: Rural communities, defined as cities, towns, and unincorporated areas less than 50,000 people, and Tribal Nations will be also a priority for EV charging station site selection. These communities are in greatest need of public funding support for EV charging infrastructure.
  • Urban/suburban area charging solutions: While shared use and rural area projects will have the top priority for project funding, small urban communities may receive funding for EV charging infrastructure at or near multi-family housing that predominantly serves low income and historically underserved populations.

If these opportunities do not fit your interests, consider connecting to our National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program, or EV fast charging stations supported by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

How Phase 1 of the program works

  • Our consultant will partner with program participants to assist with EV infrastructure work.
  • Phase 1 of the program is fully funded by federal (80%) and state (20%) grants.
  • The consultant will provide customized resources and technical assistance to meet your specific EV infrastructure needs proportionate to to the funds available.
  • We'll ask you and the consultant to submit reports throughout project.
  • You'll need to successfully complete Phase 1 to be eligible for Phase 2 (pending funding).

During Phase 1, our consultant will offer support to participants across five core areas:

  1. Project development and scoping
  2. Utility planning
  3. Installation planning
  4. Operational planning
  5. Environmental review and documentation

Phase 1 timeline

  • Feb. 10, 2026: Program information webinar
  • Feb. 28, 2026: Deadline to submit EV interest form (optional)
  • April 21, 2026: Program update and application guidance webinar
  • May 6, 2026: Full application opens
  • 7 p.m., May 22, 2026: Deadline to submit questions about application/RFP
  • 7 p.m., May 29, 2026: Question responses published
  • 7 p.m., June 15, 2026: Deadline to submit full application
  • July 15, 2026: Program participants selected and notified
  • Fall 2026: Participants attend program launch meeting and begin work with consultant
  • Summer 2027-2028: Prepare for Phase 2 (pending funding)

Eligibility

We're seeking applications from the following:

  • Tribal nations
  • Municipalities
  • Public transit agencies
  • Electrical utilities
  • Regional planning and development organizations

We also welcome multi-organization collaborative applications through this solicitation if the primary applicant is from an eligible organization. The applicant should be identified as one of the two team leaders (primary or secondary) listed on the project team form and be a representative of one of the five core eligible organizations. If you're interested in more than one site, complete a separate application for each EV site you would like us to consider. 

Eligible project areas

We're seeking applications for project sites in Greater Minnesota. We also encourage locations specific to the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation (IRRR) service area in northeastern Minnesota.

Not eligible project areas

Sites in the seven-county metro area:

  • Anoka County
  • Carver County
  • Dakota County
  • Hennepin County
  • Ramsey County
  • Scott County
  • Washington County

Guidance

Program information webinar

Program update webinar

Questions

Application process

Step 1: Gather materials

Step 2: Prepare attachments

Step 3: Draft your application

Full application sections

As a community-based program, Phase 1 - Preconstruction will be conducted in partnership with a local or regional organization. Therefore, each Applicant will assemble a small project team to support the planning and development tasks under the program. Tasks may include, but are not limited to local project coordination, collaboration with MnDOT's program consultants, championing project approvals, communications within the team and community, along with general project updates and reporting.

This section helps MnDOT orient us to your proposed project site and/or general area. You do not have to have a specific site selected to be considered for the program. However, we want to understand the general area in which you would like to consider as an EV charging site. If a site has been selected, it will still need to be assessed by MnDOT's program consultant if admitted into the program.

We launched the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Needs Assessment (EVINA) to guide how to prioritize EV charging infrastructure investments across the state. You will have an opportunity to view your project in context of statewide priorities based on gaps in the current network and areas of greatest need.

Community EV investments thrive when they are connected to other hubs of activity. You will be invited to describe the hub(s) you anticipate being supported through this application. Recognizing that one site may serve multiple needs within the area.

This informs our team how your project meets the goals described in the RFP specific to the Greater Minnesota EV Infrastructure Community Program including: Shared mobility, rural charging solutions and/or multi-family housing that predominantly serves low income or traditionally underserved populations.

We would like to better understand your community’s general readiness based on work that has already been completed to garner support for a future EV charging project.

Step 4: Submit your full application by 7 p.m., June 15, 2026

After you apply

  • We'll perform an initial review to screen applications to ensure that they meet the following requirements:
    • Submitted by the deadline
    • Complete
    • Meet eligibility requirements
  • Our review committee – comprised of internal MnDOT and partner agencies – will review the applications.
    • Applications specific to Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation (IRRR) region will be reviewed separately by representatives specific to that region.
    • Find a detailed list of questions and associated scores in the official solicitation RFP.
  • We'll announce awards in July 2026.
  • You'll complete a partnership agreement outlining roles and responsibilities. 
  • We'll invite your project team to attend program launch event in fall 2026.

Additional information

View a full list of application questions and scoring methodology (PDF).

Sections A and B

Sections A and B will be reviewed for accuracy by the committee but not scored.

Exceptions:  

  • Prior experience with EV infrastructure planning, development or installation within an Applicant’s project team will be reviewed by the committee (10 possible pts.) 
  • Points will be given if it is the only project application received in a MnDOT District (10 pts.). Points will also be given to the top three projects in each district based on overall points received (5 pts. each).  
Sections C and D

Sections C and D will be reviewed by the committee, but score will be auto populated based on applicant responses. 

Exception:  

  • The committee will review other characteristics that would be located on the site to make it an ideal EV charging location (5 pts. possible)
Sections E and F 

All open-ended (text box) questions will be reviewed by the committee and assigned a score. The remaining questions in these sections will be reviewed by the community, but the scores will be auto populated. 

If an application is not funded based on committee recommendations, the applicant may appeal the outcome by initiating an appeal. The appeal will rely on a written notice of appeal from the applicant that clearly states the organization's name, contact person, address, phone number, project description and the rationale for the appeal. The notice of appeal must be addressed to Sarah Ghandour, Director, MnDOT Office of Transit and Active Transportation and Active Transportation, 395 John Ireland Blvd, MS 430, St. Paul, MN 55155-1899.

In the event of an appeal:

  • Staff will verify that the notice of appeal was postmarked no later than 14 calendar days from the date by which MnDOT notified the applicant’s funding status (award).
  • The Office of Transit and Active Transportation director will review any appeal and provide a written response within 10 working days.

Program resources
General EV planning resources

Pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 13.01 et seq., names and addresses of applicants will be public data once responses are opened. All remaining data in proposed responses (except trade secret data as defined and classified in § 13.37) will be public data after the evaluation process is completed (for the purposes of this program, when all program agreements have been fully executed). All data created or maintained by the Minnesota Department of Transportation as part of the evaluation process (except trade secret data as defined and classified in § 13.37) will be public data after the evaluation process is completed (for the purposes of this program, when program agreements have been fully executed).