Illinois is advancing its agenda to expand electric vehicle (EV) charging options and accelerate climate change action statewide.
Gov. JB Pritzker announced this week an additional $65.6 million toward placing charging stations every 50 miles along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors across the state. Applications for a portion of the funding will be accepted until Feb. 13, 2026.
Stations funded during this phase are required to operate 24 hours a day, maintain a 97% annual uptime, and include at least four direct current fast charging ports capable of charging a vehicle to 80% in about 30 minutes.
While it typically costs about $10 to $20 to fully charge a vehicle at home, state officials are banking on the availability of fast chargers that can add significant range for roughly $20 to $30 per charging session to provide drivers with the confidence needed to adopt EVs. Building a statewide charging network with costs comparable to gas powered travel would be difficult through private investment alone, according to state officials. The cost to install a single fast charging station can approach $1 million, a price point that tends to limit private development to areas with the highest expected EV traffic. Illinois transportation officials say the goal is to ensure chargers are available beyond high population or higher income areas, helping expand confidence in EV travel statewide.
Illinois remains in the early build-out phase of the program and has already completed two competitive funding rounds. The first round awarded $25.3 million for 37 projects that will add 182 fast charging ports statewide. A second round announced in Sept. 2025 awarded $18.4 million for 25 additional stations, adding 167 charging ports along interstate corridors.
This third funding round expands eligibility beyond interstates to include U.S. routes and scenic byways and, for the first time, allows projects designed to support medium and heavy duty electric vehicles. Funding may be used for both construction and operation of charging stations located along public roadways.
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced the third round Dec. 12. About 80% of the funding comes from the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program created under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, with the remaining share provided through required state or private matching funds.
Photo by Kindel Media from Pexels
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