Daily EV news · US · 18 September 2026

PennDOT is accepting applications through 12 March for businesses and local governments to install community EV charging stations across eastern Pennsylvania, with 32 million dollars in federal NEVI funding covering 80 per cent of project costs. The programme is expected to deliver 80 to 85 new charging stations at sites including grocery stores, medical facilities and public car parks. Governor Shapiro's administration is directing over 100 million dollars in federal infrastructure funding to public charging statewide, adding to 58 million dollars already invested.

Why it matters: The procurement window gives CPOs and site hosts three weeks to bid for federally backed projects that will fill coverage gaps in a region with more than 150 existing charge points. The 80 per cent federal cost share and focus on high footfall community sites signal strong public sector support for turnkey deployment partners.

Detroit operator Red E Charge has activated Plug and Charge at many of its dispensers, letting drivers pay automatically after a one time app setup. The network now spans over 1,000 locations and roughly 4,600 ports in 46 states, including 2,159 fast charge ports at 579 stations and almost 2,500 Level 2 ports at 600 sites, according to the Department of Energy. Red E Charge was one of the fastest growing DC fast charging networks in the second quarter, ahead of Electrify America, EVgo and Ionna.

Why it matters: Plug and Charge adoption reduces friction for fleet and public charging procurement by cutting transaction time and improving utilisation rates. Red E Charge's rapid expansion and feature parity with larger networks signals a maturing competitive landscape for CPOs evaluating hardware and software partners.