The one uptime figure fixed in a public rule you can read today is the U.S. NEVI standard: funded corridor stations must average above 97 percent uptime per port per year. Beyond NEVI there is no universal grant number. Every other programme writes its own requirement and definition into its own documents — the only place the binding figure lives.
Key Takeaways
- NEVI is the citable case: above 97 percent average annual uptime, per port, under 23 CFR Part 680.
- There is no universal grant uptime figure — each programme sets its number and its definition in its own text.
- The definition matters as much as the percentage: counting unit, exclusions, reporting and remedies.
- Before signing, find the clause itself and confirm your hardware can produce the evidence it demands.
The Sourced Example: NEVI’s 97 Percent
The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure standards at 23 CFR Part 680 set the requirement for federally funded corridor charging: average annual uptime above 97 percent, measured per port. The same rule wraps the number in operating conditions — stations open 24/7, contactless card payment with no membership required, and DC ports of at least 150 kW with CCS1 connectors. Two features generalise. The percentage is meaningless without its counting method: per port, over a year. And the requirement sits in a legal instrument anyone can read — which is why it can be cited, and a figure from a sales call cannot.
Why Another Programme’s Number Is Not NEVI’s Number
| Definition choice | How programmes differ |
|---|---|
| Counting unit | Per port, per connector, or per station — a station average can hide one dead port that a per-port rule would catch |
| What counts as down | A faulted unit only, or also failed payment, a network outage, or a session that cannot start |
| Exclusions | Upstream power cuts, vandalism and scheduled maintenance are excluded, counted, or capped — programme by programme |
| Reporting | The period, the data the operator must submit, and who audits it are set in the programme’s terms |
| Consequences | What happens on a miss — a cure period, withheld funds, removal — is a contract term, never a universal rule |
So “grants require 97 percent” is true exactly once: for NEVI-funded stations, under NEVI’s definition. A state programme may borrow the number and change half the definition, or set a different structure entirely. The DSIRE database is the practical starting point for finding U.S. state programmes and their current documents.
Questions to Ask Before Signing a Grant
- Where is the number written? Get the programme guidebook and the draft funding agreement, and find the uptime clause itself — not a summary of it.
- Per what, over how long? Port or station, month or year. This decides how much downtime a single long repair costs you.
- What is excluded? Grid outages and vandalism decide real-world scores. If the text is silent, ask in writing.
- What evidence must we produce? Uptime is proven from station data, recorded from day one — the evidence duty in how to claim an EV charger grant makes the same point.
- What happens on a miss? Read the remedy clause with the same care as the percentage — the two are one obligation.
Hardware That Can Evidence Its Uptime
Funded sites run networked hardware that reports every port’s state, because the operator proves the figure from records. The EV-AC03201T dual-connector AC station (two Type 2 connectors, up to 43 kW shared, OCPP 1.6J, RFID, IP54) and the EV-RHDC30K-L DC charger (22 kW DC, OCPP 1.6J, IP54) both report to the operator’s platform. No uptime percentage is claimed for any EVDANCE product: the number belongs to the operated site, not the equipment. Grant-funded projects start from our commercial charging page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 97 percent uptime required for every public charger?
No. It binds stations funded under the NEVI rule, on NEVI’s definition. An unfunded charger answers to its operator’s promises; a charger under a different grant answers to that grant’s text. Programme status is tracked in whether the EV charger grant is ending.
Does the requirement apply per charger or per station?
Under NEVI, per port, averaged over a year. Other programmes choose their own unit — which is why the counting unit is one of the first things to find in the programme text.
Can a manufacturer guarantee our grant uptime for us?
No. A manufacturer can supply hardware that monitors and reports its ports, backed by a warranty — EVDANCE’s standard warranty is 3 years. The uptime score itself is earned by the operated site: maintenance response, spares and network management, as how to open an EV charging station sets out.
Related Reading
- How Do I Claim My EV Charger Grant? UK, Ireland and US Explained
- Is the EV Charger Grant Ending? UK, US and Ireland Status in 2026
- How to Open an EV Charging Station: Step by Step
- EV Charging Industry News: NEVI Funding Returns, the 30C Tax Credit Ends
