NEVI Minimum Standards (23 CFR Part 680)
Take NEVI or other Title 23 money and your charging station signs up for federal operating standards that last for years after ribbon-cutting: uptime, payment access, interoperability, data reporting, and workforce rules. Here is what Part 680 requires and whose job each piece is.
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- Funding-attached requirement
- When it applies
- EV charging infrastructure funded under the NEVI program or with other Title 23 federal-aid highway funds. Does not attach to EPA or purely state/utility funding.
- Whose obligation
- Primarily the funding recipient and station operator — but whether the operator can comply depends on what the equipment and network are capable of.
- ZEF's status
- ZEFNET supports OCPP 1.6, OCPP 2.0.1, ISO 15118, OpenADR 2.0b, and OCPI 2.2.1 — the charger-to-EV, charger-to-network, and network-to-network protocols § 680.108 requires. Ask ZEF for project-specific conformance documentation for a NEVI-funded spec.
What Part 680 is and when it binds you
23 CFR Part 680 sets minimum standards and requirements for EV charging projects funded under the NEVI Formula Program and, more broadly, EV charging infrastructure funded with Title 23 federal-aid funds. It survived the 2025 program turmoil: FHWA's August 2025 Interim Final Guidance changed how state plans are approved, but Part 680 remains in force and continues to bind funded projects.
The important mental shift for buyers: these are not procurement checkboxes. Uptime, payment, and data obligations run for the operating life of the funded station.
The headline operational requirements
Uptime: each federally funded charging port must maintain an average annual uptime of at least 97%, with a defined calculation method. Excessive downtime is a compliance failure, not just a customer-experience problem — which is why maintenance capability and warranty terms belong in the procurement evaluation, not the fine print.
Payment: stations must offer contactless payment accepting major debit and credit cards, must not require a membership or subscription to charge, and must display pricing transparently.
Workforce: electricians installing, operating, or maintaining the equipment must meet qualified-technician requirements, including Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP) certification.
Security and engagement: funded projects carry physical- and cybersecurity strategy requirements (§ 680.106(h)) and community-engagement reporting (§ 680.112(d)) that FHWA's 2025 guidance kept as core state-plan elements.
Data: operators must submit charging-station data (location, pricing, real-time availability, reliability) as required under the rule and program guidance.
Interoperability: the § 680.108 protocol stack
Section 680.108 requires open-protocol communication at three levels. Charger-to-EV: conformance with ISO 15118, with Plug-and-Charge capability required of charger software since February 28, 2024. Charger-to-network: conformance with OCPP 1.6J or higher, with conformance to OCPP 2.0.1 required since February 28, 2024. Network-to-network: capability to communicate per OCPI 2.2.1 since the same date.
This matters when comparing vendors: a proprietary-network charger that cannot meet these protocol requirements is not eligible equipment for a NEVI-funded site, whatever its other merits.
Whose obligation is which — and where ZEF fits
The recipient and station operator own the ongoing obligations: uptime performance, payment operation, data submission, workforce compliance. The manufacturer and network platform determine whether those obligations are meetable: hardware reliability and serviceability drive uptime; network capability drives interoperability and data reporting.
ZEF's factual position: ETL-listed Made-in-USA hardware, and the ZEFNET platform supports OCPP 1.6, OCPP 2.0.1, ISO 15118, OpenADR 2.0b, and OCPI 2.2.1 — covering the charger-to-EV, charger-to-network, and network-to-network communication § 680.108 requires. The 5-Year Advantage warranty and support package exists precisely because uptime obligations outlast the installation. For a NEVI-funded project, ask ZEF for conformance documentation scoped to your solicitation.
Request a project-specific compliance packet
Documentation for your award file, scoped to your funding program and obligation date.
Request the packetFrequently asked questions
Does 23 CFR 680 apply to chargers that received no federal highway money?
No. Part 680 attaches to NEVI and other Title 23 federal-aid funding. Chargers funded by EPA programs, state grants, utility programs, or private capital are not bound by it — though other requirements still apply.
What uptime does a NEVI-funded charger have to maintain?
An average annual uptime of at least 97% per charging port, calculated per the rule's methodology, for the operating life of the funded obligation.
Can a NEVI-funded station require a membership to charge?
No. Stations must accept contactless payment with major debit and credit cards and must not require a membership or subscription as a condition of charging.
Is Part 680 still in force after the 2025 NEVI guidance changes?
Yes. FHWA's August 2025 Interim Final Guidance changed state-plan approval and program flexibility, but the Part 680 minimum standards remain in effect for funded projects.
Not sure what applies? Ask.
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