Introduction

The United States public EV charging network crossed 70,000 DC fast-charging ports in March 2026 even as new electric vehicle sales experienced a significant short-term decline, demonstrating that the charging industry is now driven by the cumulative stock of 5.8 million EVs on American roads rather than monthly sales figures alone. Simultaneously, the federal NEVI program has rebooted with $885 million in FY2026 funding and revised guidance that gives states substantially more flexibility in deploying highway charging infrastructure. California is opening a $79 million grant opportunity for DC fast chargers along major travel corridors with a deadline of March 25, 2026, while the state has already surpassed the milestone of having more public EV charging stations than traditional gas stations. Vehicle-to-grid technology is breaking into the mainstream in 2026 with major automakers including Nissan, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and General Motors all committing to bidirectional charging capabilities, transforming electric vehicles from transportation assets into active participants in grid energy management. At Shaffer Construction, Inc., we help Los Angeles property owners navigate this rapidly evolving landscape through expert commercial EV charger installation and infrastructure planning services designed to position properties for both immediate use and long-term grid integration. Here are the most significant developments shaping EV charging infrastructure this week.

US Public EV Charging Network Breaks 70,000 DC Fast-Charging Ports Despite Sales Slowdown

As of March 1, 2026, the United States had 70,017 public DC fast-charging ports, representing a remarkable acceleration in infrastructure deployment that continued even as new EV sales fell by nearly 40 percent compared to the year-earlier quarter. Bloomberg reported that charging networks added approximately 11,300 ultra-fast charging cords across the country in 2025, up 48 percent from 2024, and that in the fourth quarter of 2025 nearly one in four new chargers installed were capable of delivering 250 kilowatts or more, sufficient to add 100 miles of driving range in less than ten minutes. ChargePoint Holdings posted a 7 percent increase in sales in the final quarter of 2025, illustrating that the charging business is driven by the total number of EVs in service rather than new vehicle purchase rates alone.

EVgo has announced plans to build up to 1,650 new charging slots in 2026, which would represent a 38 percent increase over its 2025 installations. The Tesla Supercharger network now operates 3,988 sites in North America, with more than two-thirds of those stalls open to non-Tesla EVs through the NACS partnership agreements that have steadily expanded access since 2024. The overall deployment rate is running at more than 1,000 new DC fast-charging stalls per month, putting the industry on pace to reach 80,000 public DC fast-charging ports before the end of the year. For Los Angeles commercial property owners, this expansion represents growing driver expectations: tenants, customers, and employees with EVs increasingly expect charging availability as a standard amenity, and properties that have invested in infrastructure are capturing that demand as the regional EV fleet continues to grow.

NEVI Program Reboots with Revised Guidance and $885 Million in FY2026 Funding

The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure formula program, which was paused in February 2025 for an administrative review, has fully rebooted following revised guidance released in August 2025 that gives states substantially more flexibility in how and where they deploy federal highway charging funds. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's updated guidance eliminates the previous requirement that stations be placed within 50 miles of one another on designated Alternative Fuel Corridors, allowing states to determine appropriate spacing based on local conditions. States now have expanded authority to use NEVI funds on public roads statewide once their corridor network is fully developed, and approval timelines have been shortened to give projects a faster path to construction.

The Federal Highway Administration apportioned $885 million for the NEVI program in FY2026, with funds available to cover up to 80 percent of project costs while states or private partners contribute the remaining 20 percent. Texas has built 14 NEVI-funded charging stations with 23 under construction and 28 in planning, targeting a total of 300 EV charging locations for 2026. Pennsylvania has 83 active NEVI projects across 43 counties with a $54 million federal investment and opened its first NEVI Community Charging funding round on February 19, 2026. Multiple states including California, Arizona, Colorado, and Illinois have opened or recently opened new funding rounds, with an additional 12 states and the District of Columbia anticipated to release solicitations in the first quarter of 2026. As we covered in our earlier analysis of federal EV policy shifts and NEVI program developments, the program's funding trajectory and revised implementation rules will shape the competitive landscape for charging operators across the country. Los Angeles commercial property owners with existing electrical infrastructure in place are well-positioned to attract NEVI-eligible charging operators as tenants or partners, since available electrical capacity significantly reduces the cost and timeline for deploying NEVI-funded charging stations.

California Opens $79 Million in Charging Grants as State Surpasses Gas Station Count

The California Energy Commission has opened a $79 million grant opportunity (GFO-25-602) for the installation of publicly accessible DC fast chargers along federally designated Alternative Fuel Corridors, with a submission deadline of March 25, 2026. The grant program is open to private entities, public agencies, nonprofits, and other eligible organizations and is specifically designed to close gaps in highway charging coverage to support long-distance EV travel within the state. This funding round follows California's achievement of a landmark milestone: by 2024, the state had 178,500 publicly accessible EV charging stations, more than double the number from two years prior and significantly exceeding the state's approximately 120,000 gas nozzles, according to California Energy Commission data. Most of the state's chargers are Level 2 units, with approximately 17,000 fast chargers currently operational, indicating substantial room for DC fast-charging expansion.

Private investment is also flowing into California's charging infrastructure independent of government grant programs. Ionna, the joint venture of eight major automakers, announced a $250 million commitment to expand public EV charging infrastructure in California over the next three years, funded entirely through private capital without reliance on federal funds. California's 2026 building codes are also driving a new wave of EV-ready construction, as the state now requires at least one charger per unit in most new multi-family developments with each new parking space required to be EV Ready with at least a 240V/20A outlet or charger. As we detailed in our coverage of California's 2026 EV charging building code requirements and their implications for Los Angeles property owners, developers who proactively exceed minimum code requirements are creating lasting competitive advantages. Shaffer Construction works with Los Angeles developers, property managers, and building owners to design EV charging infrastructure that meets current code, qualifies for available grant funding, and anticipates future demand from a growing regional EV fleet now approaching multiple millions of vehicles.

Vehicle-to-Grid Technology Breaks Into Mainstream as Major Automakers Commit to Bidirectional Charging

Industry analysts and automakers alike are characterizing 2026 as a breakthrough year for bidirectional charging technology, with vehicle-to-grid capability transitioning from pilot programs to production vehicles across multiple major manufacturers. Nissan announced it will launch affordable onboard bidirectional charging on selected electric vehicles starting in 2026, with the company projecting that V2G technology can cut the annual cost of powering an EV by 50 percent while reducing net carbon emissions from charging by 30 percent per year for the average household. Nissan's V2G approach allows customers to act as a sustainable energy hub, drawing on the vehicle battery to power the home and sell energy back to the grid during peak demand periods.

BMW will offer V2G capability on the iX3 beginning in spring 2026, paired with the BMW Wallbox Professional bidirectional charger developed in partnership with E.ON. Mercedes-Benz announced bidirectional charging for the new all-electric GLC at IAA 2025. General Motors is positioning its Ultium platform as fully V2H capable across the Cadillac Lyriq, Hummer EV, and upcoming Silverado EV, with the GM Energy ecosystem providing home and grid integration services. Industry analysts at Driivz note that V2G operators can monetize charging assets through demand response, frequency regulation, and reserve capacity services, and that fleets aggregating multiple charging sites can function as virtual power plants coordinating energy across locations. For commercial property owners in Los Angeles, V2G capability introduces new revenue potential from charging infrastructure while also requiring careful electrical planning to ensure the underlying service capacity can support bidirectional power flow. A comprehensive electrical load study is essential before deploying bidirectional charging equipment, as V2G systems must integrate with existing building electrical systems in ways that affect service panel capacity, utility interconnection, and demand charge management.

EV Charging Networks Accelerate NACS Rollout as Industry Standardizes on New Connector

The North American Charging Standard, now formally designated SAE J3400, is rapidly becoming the dominant connector for new DC fast-charging installations in the United States as the industry completes its transition away from the Combined Charging System connector. EVgo has announced plans to roll out more than 500 NACS connectors by the end of 2026 across more than 25 states, building on a 2025 pilot program during which the company installed nearly 100 NACS connectors across 22 metropolitan areas. EVgo is investing in reliability improvements alongside its NACS expansion, implementing new performance monitoring tools and software updates and replacing older equipment to improve first-charge success rates. Toyota announced that its bZ model lineup will gain access to the Tesla Supercharger network through NACS compatibility, expanding the pool of vehicles that can access Tesla's 3,988 North American Supercharger sites.

The standardization shift carries important infrastructure planning implications that we examined in our review of the NACS connector transition and its effect on installation costs and utility rebate eligibility. Property owners installing charging infrastructure today should plan for NACS as the primary connector standard, though ensuring backward compatibility through adapter provisions protects against stranding older-vehicle users. The broader DC fast-charging network crossed 70,000 ports in March 2026 with nearly 50 percent year-over-year growth in deployed stalls, and the NACS transition is accelerating because it gives non-Tesla EV owners access to the largest, most geographically distributed fast-charging network on the continent. For Los Angeles commercial properties evaluating charging upgrades, selecting equipment that supports NACS natively maximizes the addressable driver population and aligns with the direction that every major charging network and automaker has committed to in 2026.

Conclusion

The United States public EV charging network surpassed 70,000 DC fast-charging ports in March 2026 even as new EV sales temporarily declined, confirming that the charging business is sustained by the growing installed fleet of 5.8 million vehicles rather than short-term sales cycles. The NEVI program has rebooted with $885 million in FY2026 funding and revised guidance that gives states more flexibility and faster approval timelines, while California is running a $79 million grant opportunity for DC fast chargers along highway corridors with a March 25 deadline. California has already surpassed a historic milestone of more publicly accessible EV charging stations than gas stations, and Ionna's $250 million private investment in California charging infrastructure signals sustained private-sector confidence in the state's long-term EV market. Vehicle-to-grid technology is entering mainstream production vehicles from Nissan, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and General Motors in 2026, creating new revenue and energy management opportunities for commercial property owners whose electrical infrastructure can support bidirectional power flow. The industry is completing its standardization on the NACS connector, meaning properties that install NACS-compatible equipment today maximize access to the largest and fastest-growing driver population in the country.

Ready to position your Los Angeles property for the next phase of EV charging infrastructure growth? Shaffer Construction, Inc. provides expert design, permitting, and installation services for commercial and residential charging systems, electrical load studies to assess service capacity for bidirectional charging, and guidance on available state and federal grant opportunities for eligible projects.

Shaffer Construction, Inc.
325 N Larchmont Blvd. #202
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Phone: (323) 642-8509
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Website: www.shaffercon.com