NEVI Update - Kapalua Fast Charger Hub opens in June!

The third National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program-funded DC fast charger in Hawaii will open soon, ahead of schedule.

Kahului NEVI Hub

As with all NEVI DC Fast Charging hubs, the Kapalua station will include four 150-kW chargers. Each hub will allow all chargers to dispense concurrently at 150 kW.

This project follows the deployments of the Kahului and Aloha Towers NEVI Fast Charger hubs. Here's where things stand with the rest of the plan.

Kauai -There are two hubs planned: the Princeville Library and Port Allen. The Princeville hub is under construction with a completion target of mid-2027. The long-lead time item for this project is the large battery energy storage system (BESS). The Port Allen hub's design is nearly complete; construction is scheduled to start in early 2027.

Oahu - The Mililani project breaks ground this summer and is expected to be completed in early 2027.

Hawaii Island - The NEVI plan calls for hubs at Waimea, Hilo, Kona, Ocean View, and Volcano Village. The Waimea and Hilo hubs now have completed designs. HDOT is finalizing easements for these locations and expects construction to start in late 2026. The Kona, Ocean View, and Volcano Village sites are still in development. The original Kona location at the West Hawaii Civic Center is no longer feasible. HDOT is now scoping out a location along Kealakehe Parkway near Queen Kaahumanu Highway.

Kudos to HDOT for their progress on the NEVI program in Hawaii. Mahalo to Robin Shishido, HDOT Deputy Director, for this information.

Details of the NEVI Hawaii State Plan can be viewed here: https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/files/2025/09/20250911-HDOT-letter-Submitting-2025-NEVI-Plan-for-FY26-funding-approved-by-FHWA.pdf