Electric vehicle charging stations in Las Cruces, Deming will fill infrastructure gaps

Xchelzin Pena

Cities throughout New Mexico were awarded funds to expand the state’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure network. Among them were Las Cruces and Deming.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law awarded the New Mexico Department of Transportation $38.3 million through its National Electric Field Infrastructure program. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a collaboration between National Departments of Energy and Transportation and is the largest long-term investment in U.S. infrastructure and economy in U.S. history. It will provide $550 billion over fiscal years 2022 through 2026 in new federal investment in infrastructure, including in roads, bridges, and mass transit, water infrastructure, resilience and broadband.

These funds are to be used on primary interstates and alternative fuel corridors. New Mexico’s AFCs include I-25, I-40, and I-10 as well as five U.S. highways: U.S. 60, U.S. 70, U.S. 160, U.S. 285, and U.S. 380 totaling almost 2,200 center lane miles.

NMDOT Executive Project Director Jerry Valdez stated in an email that the priority here is to appropriate spacing from existing and potential site locations. He said these locations will help fill the considerable gaps in the existing charging network.

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“What this means is that along these corridors there will be Electric Vehicle Charging stations every 50 miles promoting economic development as well as preserving the environment of New Mexico. Motorists who choose electric vehicles can now have confidence that they will have safe, reliable access to charging while contributing to the economy of these areas," Valdez said.

NMDOT received 17 applications and awarded $11.9 million to six entities, for a total of 20 locations and 84 new EV chargers across New Mexico. These locations also include:

  • Francis Energy (Raton, Socorro, Los Lunas, T or C)

  • Pilot (Jamestown, Moriarty)

  • Red E Charging LLC (Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Grants, Maxwell, Bernalillo)

  • Tesla (Lordsburg, Encino, Gallup, Wagon Mound, Las Vegas, Santa Rosa, Tucumcari)

  • EV Gateway (Las Cruces)

  • SkyChargers LLC (Deming)

On Nov. 15, 2021, President Joe Biden signed into law the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which established the NEVI Formula Program.

Shortly after, the Federal Highway Administration issued the NEVI Formula Program providing background information, funding eligibility, and program guidance for implementation of investments like the electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Valdez said the contract will be finalized in the coming weeks with a life cycle that gives entities until December of 2025 to complete the buildout of the stations.

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“Although we are providing an extended amount of time, the expectation is that this infrastructure be completed as quickly as possible, preferably by the fall,” he said.

For more information, on New Mexico’s or other state’s Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructures projects visit transit.dot.gov.

Xchelzin Peña is a freelancer for the Las Cruces Sun-News. She can be reached at xchelzin@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: EV charging stations in Las Cruces, Deming will fill infrastructure gaps

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