Fuel Retailers Urge U.S. DOT to Prioritize Consumer Experience in NEVI Final Guidance

ALEXANDRIA, VA — NATSO, representing truck stops and travel centers, SIGMA: America’s Leading Fuel Marketers, and the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), applaud the U.S. Transportation Department for resolving many existing challenges under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) grant program, and urge the agency to further strengthen Final NEVI Guidance to ensure a consumer-friendly, nationwide network of EV charging stations and a consistent charging experience for drivers of electric vehicles.

U.S. DOT’s Interim Final Guidance encourages state transportation departments to prioritize applications where EV charging infrastructure would be co-located with on-site amenities such as restrooms and foodservice, and the “site host,” or real estate owner is also the charging station owner. This will help ensure that chargers are well-maintained and competitively priced.

These provisions affirm the fuel retail industry’s long-held position that prioritizing the consumer experience will encourage a cohesive network of convenient charging locations where drivers can refuel with the same safe, reliable service and amenities that they enjoy today.

“The NEVI program works when the refueling experience is viewed through the lens of the consumer,” said David Fialkov, Executive Vice President of Government Affairs for NATSO and SIGMA. “People don’t want to refuel in parking lots or other desolate spaces. They want the same conveniences that exist alongside fuel pumps throughout the country today. We hope that Democrats and Republicans view the Trump Administration’s Interim Final Guidance as a sound way to implement the program this year, and as establishing a politically viable path forward as we approach the next reauthorization of surface transportation legislation.”

“The retail fuel industry supports the NEVI Program and is actively participating in the program in almost every state,” said NACS Deputy General Counsel Matt Durand. “Advancing a market-oriented implementation strategy will prompt private investment in alternative refueling infrastructure across the country. The Guidance would rectify challenges and prompt businesses to make durable, consumer-focused investments in a nationwide refueling network.”

NATSO, NACS and SIGMA specifically encouraged U.S. DOT to:

•             Require state NEVI plans to prioritize projects where the site hosts own and operate the EV charging infrastructure and EV charging infrastructure is co-located with onsite amenities such as restrooms and foodservice. Aligning the Guidance with the Congressional directive that states prioritize locating chargers alongside restrooms and other public amenities reflects a practical understanding of driver behavior. Motorists expect safety, convenience, and comfort when charging an EV just as they do when refueling a gasoline- or diesel-powered vehicle.

•             Require states to promptly release funds for awarded projects that are consistent with this Guidance and reassess awards that are inconsistent with the Guidance. FHWA should instruct states to promptly release funds in support of projects where awards have been made but funds have not yet been obligated, provided those projects are consistent with the Guidance’s site-host ownership and co-location with amenities parameters. Conversely, projects that are inconsistent with these parameters should be reassessed to ensure they are consistent with the Agency’s priorities.

•             Specify criteria for determining when an alternative fuel corridor is “fully built out.” FHWA should clarify how it intends to determine when AFCs are considered “fully built out.” Subsequently, FHWA should verify a state has a network of charging stations, co-located with consumer amenities, alongside its highway system that allows consumers to safely traverse the state before certifying the buildout of the AFC is complete.

•             Prohibit caps on rate-of-return or revenue sharing requirements. Limiting the ability of fuel retailers to make a return on investment will discourage private businesses from applying for NEVI grants.

•             Accommodate expansion at existing charging sites in addition to new locations when appropriate. Many current facilities are located in optimal areas for Interstate travelers and demand often exceeds available capacity. Supporting expansion at proven sites will ensure that funds are directed to locations with the highest driver utilization. FHWA also should clarify that the cost of certain infrastructure-related investments that are essential to station reliability are eligible for NEVI funding.

•             Uphold the prohibition on EV charging at rest areas. FHWA should enforce the longstanding federal prohibition on rest area commercialization as part of the NEVI Program. FHWA’s Guidance appropriately preserves the prohibition on installing EV charging infrastructure at Interstate rest areas. Allowing commercial services at interstate rest areas would undermine private investment refueling infrastructure and distort the competitive marketplace that the NEVI Program is designed to support.

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Tiffany Wlazlowski Neuman

Wlazlowski Neuman leads NATSO and the NATSO Foundation’s public affairs initiatives and communications strategies to promote the truck stop and travel center industry to the public, opinion leaders, elected officials, and the media. Her outreach includes a spectrum of policy issues facing the industry, with a particular focus on transportation and fuel issues, truck parking, and human trafficking. She serves as NATSO’s representative on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Truck Parking Coalition, the Clean Freight Coalition, and various state truck parking technical advisory committees. She is the architect of the truck stop and travel center industry’s anti-human trafficking campaign and currently serves as a Committee member for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Human Trafficking Advisory Council. Wlazlowski Neuman serves on the American Highway Users Policy and Government Affairs Committee.

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