Arizona's First NEVI Fast Chargers Are Finally Open Along I-10, I-19 and I-8

Arizona's first three NEVI-funded DC fast-charging stations are finally online, Electrek reported, giving EV drivers more places to plug in along I-10, I-19 and I-8. The stations are part of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, the federal effort to build a reliable fast-charging backbone along US highways.

The locations matter as much as the chargers. I-10 is Arizona's main east-west artery, carrying traffic between Phoenix, Tucson and California; I-19 runs south to the Mexican border at Nogales; and I-8 connects the Phoenix area to San Diego. For EV drivers, a fast charger on each of these corridors removes one more reason to hesitate about a long-distance trip — and for the state, it closes a gap that has persisted years into the NEVI program.

The slow rollout of NEVI stations has been a running frustration for EV advocates, with states moving at very different speeds. Arizona's first three stations are a modest start, but they are the kind of infrastructure that compounds: each new corridor charger makes the whole network more useful, and each one makes the next EV purchase a little easier to justify.