Illinois’ first federally funded EV charging station opens in Casey
Published 10:12 am Thursday, July 23, 2026
SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Department of Transportation cut the ribbon on the state’s first electric vehicle charging station built through a federal infrastructure program, officials announced Tuesday, alongside a new round of grants aimed at expanding EV charging access across Illinois.
The station, located at a Mach 1 fuel station on Illinois Route 49 near Interstate 70 in Casey, includes four DC fast chargers and was funded through an $854,641 competitive grant awarded to Phillips 66, in partnership with Meyer Oil and Electrify America. The chargers went online last week, according to the department.
The project is the first in Illinois built through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program, a federally funded initiative administered by the state transportation department using money from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The program is intended to build a network of charging stations along interstates and other major roadways statewide.
Alongside the ribbon-cutting, IDOT announced it is awarding $23.5 million in a third round of program funding for 29 new charging projects, which officials said will add 140 new charging ports across the state. Each location will include at least four DC fast chargers capable of fully charging a typical electric vehicle in less than 30 minutes.
“These new chargers are an important step forward in making the governor’s EV goals a reality, while creating economic opportunity by connecting Illinois communities to a national network of stations,” Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi said in a statement. “Some of the strongest interest we’re seeing for electric vehicle charging is coming from rural areas that see the benefit of having travelers stop in their towns to charge up and spend their dollars at local stores and businesses.”
The charging network is part of Gov. JB Pritzker’s broader push to expand electric vehicle infrastructure in Illinois, including a goal of putting 1 million electric vehicles on the state’s roads by 2030. Officials said additional charging stations funded through the program are expected to come online throughout the summer.
