ORT awarded $14M DOT grant to install electric vehicle chargers

Springdale-based transit provider Ozark Regional Transit will receive a $14.9 million federal grant to install up to 17 electric vehicle charging sites in Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers and Springdale, according to a Friday (Aug. 23) news release.

The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the grant after a Federal Charging and Fueling Infrastructure grant application was completed.

According to the release, the offices of U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., and U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, secured the grant.

Shawn Strate, Andy Brewer and others at Olsson Inc. put together the grant application. The release also noted the ongoing support of ORT by the cities and mayors in Northwest Arkansas.

Proposed charging sites include four in Bentonville, five in Fayetteville, five in Rogers and three in Springdale. Several sites are adjacent to bicycle trails and facilities, including the Razorback Greenway and activity centers across the region. Construction is expected to start in the first or second quarter of 2026 and be completed by the third quarter of 2026.

Each charging site will have between four and eight charging stations for a total of up to 92 charging ports throughout Northwest Arkansas. This represents a 58% increase in the availability of charging ports in the region. Also, the design provides for the capacity to accommodate 51 additional ports at the proposed 17 sites.

The new charging stations are expected to include a combination of level-two (slower charging) and at least one direct-current, fast-charging chargers. The level-two charger is typical for households and public stations and takes about eight hours to charge to a 150-mile capability, based on several variables.

The chargers will be exclusively for public use. The fast-charging chargers feature higher-voltage (480 volts) AC to DC chargers with the capacity to charge to a 150-mile capability in about 30 minutes. These will be reserved for transit vehicles at certain times of the day but shared with the public for the remainder of the day.

The grant is funded through President Joe Biden’s bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which received no votes from Arkansas’ all GOP Congressional delegation.