Department of Transportation Allocates $85M for Heavy-Duty Electric Truck Charging Depots Along I-80

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced an $85-million capital grant package on Sunday afternoon under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program to deploy commercial heavy-duty electric freight charging depots along the Interstate 80 freight corridor.

Infrastructure Architecture and Megawatt Charging Systems

The funding supports the construction of six commercial fleet charging hubs across Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and Wyoming. Each depot will feature eight Megawatt Charging System (MCS) dispensers delivering up to 1.2 megawatts of continuous power, enabling Class 8 commercial semi-trucks to recharge battery packs from 15% to 80% capacity in approximately 35 minutes.

Each facility will incorporate on-site 5-megawatt battery energy storage systems and high-voltage grid interconnections to prevent localized transmission grid voltage sags during simultaneous truck charging.

"Interstate 80 is the freight backbone of America," U.S. Transportation Secretary officials said in a statement. "Deploying high-power commercial charging infrastructure enables trucking companies to transition to zero-emission fleets while lowering diesel emissions along our national supply chain corridors."

Fleet Logistics and Commercial Trucking Reaction

Commercial freight logistics operators, including major national fleet carriers, welcomed the targeted corridor investment, noting that reliable megawatt charging along interstate routes is essential to deploy long-haul electric day-cabs and regional delivery tractors.

State departments of transportation confirmed that commercial charging plazas will be co-located with existing commercial travel plazas featuring amenities for truck drivers.

Construction Timeline

Civil engineering and high-voltage transformer installation will commence in spring 2027, with the initial I-80 truck charging plazas operational by early 2028.