Texas Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan

The Texas EV Infrastructure Plan was developed in the spring of 2022, following the initial National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program Guidance from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The EV network will give Electric Vehicle drivers confidence and flexibility when traveling for work, recreation, or exploration regardless of distance traveled or weather conditions. In accordance with guidance, the plan will focus on interstate routes then transition to off interstate routes and urban areas.

The plan was developed in cooperation with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, State Energy Conservation Office, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Texas Department of Transportation, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Public Utility Commission, Councils of Government, Counties, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), utilities, energy service providers, and advocacy groups in Texas. The EV Plan supports the goals of Optimizing System Performance (economic development, connectivity, mobility, reliability) and Fostering Stewardship of the state’s natural, historic, and cultural resources as outlined in the Texas Transportation Plan 2050.

The density, distribution, and power of the EV network outlined in the plan is targeted to support 1 million electric vehicles when built out. DC Fast charging stations will be 50 miles apart on the Electric Alternative Fuel Corridors and usually 70 miles apart anywhere else in the state. Drivers will have multiple options for EV Charging along their intended travel route.

View current Electric Vehicle stations in Texas by owner, power level, and connector type using the EV Stations Dashboard.

The location of 56 new DC Electric Charging Study Areas have been identified as part of the Phase One build out for the Electric Alternative Fuel Corridors. The Study Areas will successfully satisfy the 50-mile maximum spacing requirements from FHWA and compliment existing AFC locations.

Explore Phase One - AFC Study Areas with the interactive Dashboard.

Critical to the Texas EV Charging plan are the Alternative Fuel Corridors. Starting in 2015 and working with planning partners across the state, TxDOT nominated sections of interstate highways to the Electric Alternative Fuel Corridors. In the latest round of nominations (round 6 opened on Feb. 10, 2022), TxDOT took the opportunity to nominate almost all remaining non-business interstate highways as Corridor Pending segments. One measure of success of the plan for Electric Alternative Fuel Corridors will be how well it meets FHWA requirements of 50-mile spacing for DC Fast Chargers, 1 mile from the interstate exit, rated at 150kW or greater.

Additional information for Alternative Fuel Corridors can be found by accessing the Statewide Planning Map under "Overlays", and selecting "Alt Fuels - Electric."

TxDOT will concentrate on the Alternative Fuel Corridors first then move to County Seats and MPOs. The following table outlines approximate years for each region and charging type. This is an early estimate and subject to change going forward. Additional FY would be added until funds are expended.

Since 2020, the total number of electric vehicles across Texas has jumped sharply as more people adopt the technology. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) estimates there will be 1 million electric vehicles on the road in Texas by 2028. Using current growth trends for EVs, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles estimates Texas will reach 1 million EVs by 2031.With rapidly growing adoption rates, it is necessary to ensure Texas will be able to meet the demand of these new vehicles on the road.

View current EV Registration in Texas using Texas Statewide EV Registration Tool.

Texas has been an energy leader for many years with strong growth in wind generation since 2000 and more recently from solar generation. In 2006, Texas became the #1 state for wind power and is now showing similar rapid growth in solar power. Short-term ERCOT projections show these trends accelerating at least through 2024. The document titled “Report on the Capacity, Demand and Reserves (CDR) in the ERCOT Region, 2022- 2031” published by ERCOT provides power generation estimates from 2022 – 2031. The first 5 years are displayed in the table below.

Estimating energy usage is difficult since owners do not charge their cars at the same time and vehicles do not charge at the same rate throughout a battery charging cycle. Realistically, electric vehicles cannot sustain a high charge rate over the entire session. Batteries with a low state of charge will accept the high rate for a few minutes then start tapering down as battery pack voltage increases. However, it is easy to estimate a theoretical max usage scenario for illustration purposes. If all DC and Level II charging stations in this plan were utilized at the same time at their max rate, they would consume 666.7 MW of electricity from the grid. On May 3rd 2022, Operating Reserves ranged from 3,751 MW to 6,066 MW. The potential impact on the overall statewide grid appears minimal for the type and quantity of EV Chargers outlined in the plan.

The following table displays estimates for theoretical max power consumption by area and type.