Chippewa Valley Sees First Federally Funded EV Chargers in State

Chippewa Valley drivers have new options for charging electric vehicles thanks to federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

On Tuesday, Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation officially celebrated the opening of the first electric vehicle charging stations funded by the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program. The fast-charging stations began operations in December at Kwik Trip locations in Chippewa Falls, Menomonie, and Ashland.

Funding for the program comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and in 2024 Governor Evers signed legislation authorizing over $78 million of investments through the NEVI program to expand electric vehicle infrastructure across the state. As electric vehicles become a more popular option for drivers, one frequent complaint is that there aren’t enough places along the roadways to recharge them.

In Wisconsin, electric vehicles only make up about 1% of the cars on the road. Officials say they believe one of the main reasons that electric vehicles are less popular in Wisconsin than other states is the accessibility of charging stations in more rural areas. Expanding the electric vehicle infrastructure has become a major goal for state lawmakers.

In the press release, Governor Evers said “Expanding our EV infrastructure is a critical part of making sure Wisconsin can meet the demands of a 21st-century workforce and economy while making sure we’re embracing cleaner, more efficient transportation options.”

In addition to the locations already opened in the Chippewa Valley, the Department of Transportation is planing to build more of the fast charging stations through the program at dozens of locations across the state over the next few months.