New EV Program a Key Opportunity for DMOs, States, Travel Businesses

The U.S. Travel Association welcomes the Biden administration’s announcement making available nearly $5 billion under the new National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program. This program will make foundational investments in a national EV charging network that will shape the future of travel mobility in America.

A public comment issued by U.S. Travel encourages state departments of transportation to work closely with the community of destination marketing organizations (DMOs), state tourism offices, and private travel businesses to make data-driven recommendations on the most popular EV travel corridors and destinations where investments should be made.

The Great American Road Trip is in transition to the Green American Road Trip. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 80% of all domestic trips were taken by automobile, generating a significant portion of the $1.2 trillion in travel spending that directly supported more than 9 million American jobs.

The NEVI program will provide nearly $5 billion over five years to help states create a network of EV charging stations along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors, particularly along the Interstate Highway System. The total amount available to states in Fiscal Year 2022 under the NEVI Formula Program is $615 million.

“With sustainability being a cornerstone of the future of travel mobility, the innovations of the travel industry will often outpace the needed government resources to deploy them,” said Tori Emerson Barnes, Executive Vice President, Public Affairs and Policy at the U.S. Travel Association. “The administration’s announcement is a landmark opportunity for state tourism offices and destination marketing organizations to partner with decision makers at the inception of the Green American Road Trip.”