Congressman Cohen Announces $88.3 Million for Electric Vehicle Funding for Tennessee

Press Release

Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, today announced that Tennessee will receive $13,074,884 in the current fiscal year and $88,334,969 over five years after passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Only Congressmen Cohen and Jim Cooper (TN-05) from the Tennessee delegation voted for the measure which President Biden signed into law in November.

The funding will support the cost of installing electric vehicle (EV) charging stations along selected roads and highways and will create good-paying jobs to improve charger access for Tennessee drivers, help protect Tennessee's environment and support American car manufacturers' rapidly growing EV production, including the planned West Tennessee Blue Oval Ford plant.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

"For too long, Tennessee has had unreliable and inconsistent charging facilities along its roads and highways, inconveniencing drivers and putting a drag on our regional economy. These overdue investments will strengthen our state's critical infrastructure -- paving the way for cleaner, easier driving and supporting good-paying union jobs. I was proud to vote for the IIJA, and I remain committed to working with our state and local leaders to ensure that these funds are swiftly deployed to where they are needed most."

The United States' current network of 100,000 chargers is insufficient to service the growing number of EV owners -- and also struggles with inconsistent plug types, payment options and data availability. The IIJA is addressing these shortcomings, advancing President Biden's goal to expand the U.S. network to 500,000 chargers and grow electric vehicles sales to 50 percent of the automobile market by 2030.

Distributed by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the funds announced today will put Tennesseans to work building a convenient and equitable network of chargers across the state, making electric vehicles more accessible for both local and long-distance trips. In total, the FHWA is delivering nearly $5 billion in formula funding over the next five years to expand charging access across the country.

Congressman Cohen has been informing constituents of the benefits of the IIJA both locally and statewide.

Earlier this week, he announced the bill's transit funding. Before that, Congressman Cohen called attention to historic levels of funding for bridges, water systems, and other infrastructure that will be paid for by the IIJA he voted for.

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