About two years after Oregon picked its first companies to build federally funded fast chargers, the state still has no NEVI station open. According to the Oregon Department of Transportation's NEVI program page, updated in October 2026, the first one should open in December. Getting there has meant cancelling two of the three Round 1 agreements.
The newest cancellation is on Interstate 5 south of Eugene. "In October 2026, we cancelled our agreement" for that corridor, ODOT writes, and the company "couldn't move forward." The page does not give the exact date. The corridor has been added to Round 3, the state's third grant round, which opened Oct. 21, 2026.
ChargerFeed has already covered the Round 3 opening. This article looks at the delivery record: which agreements fell through, which have been signed, and when ODOT expects stations to open.
Round 1: Three Corridors Picked, One Still Standing
ODOT chose its Round 1 projects in October 2024. They covered three corridors: I-205, I-5 south of Eugene and US 97. The agreements with the selected companies were signed in August 2025.
The US 97 agreement went first. ODOT cancelled it in October 2025 and moved the corridor into Round 2. The I-5 agreement followed in October 2026 and went into Round 3. That leaves I-205.
The I-205 project is the first one near opening. "We expect the Gladstone 76 location will open in December 2026," the agency says. The Gladstone location is listed under I-205. If the date holds, about 26 months will have passed between selection and the first ribbon-cutting. ODOT's page calls December an expectation, not a commitment, so Gladstone should be read as planned for December, not open.
| Round 1 corridor | Status (per ODOT, as of October 2026) |
|---|---|
| I-205 | Agreement in place; Gladstone 76 expected to open December 2026 |
| US 97 | Agreement cancelled October 2025; corridor moved to Round 2 |
| I-5 south of Eugene | Agreement cancelled October 2026; corridor moved to Round 3 |
Round 2: $16.7 Million, Seven Companies, Contracts Now Signed
ODOT announced the Round 2 selections in an April 24, 2026 bulletin. The agency said it intended to award $16.7 million in NEVI grants to seven private companies for 24 stations with 126 charging ports. The stations run along I-84 and US 20, 26, 97 and 101. Every station would have at least four ports and some would have up to eight. S&P Global Mobility's AutoTechInsight also reported the award as $16.7 million to seven private companies for 24 DC fast-charging stations, calling it the second phase of Oregon's rollout.
In April the awards were stated as intentions. By October they were contracts. "As of October 2026, we have executed agreements with all seven grantees," ODOT's NEVI page says. That matters given Round 1, where two of three signed agreements were later cancelled. Signed agreements still don't guarantee that stations get built. But Round 2 has now moved from announced to under signed agreement.
On timing, the April bulletin said several stations should come online within 12 to 18 months. The October update is more specific: at least five Round 2 locations should open in the first few months of 2027, according to current project schedules. ODOT has not said which five, and the remaining stations have no public opening dates yet.
The Money: $52 Million Over Five Years
Oregon expects to receive $52 million in federal NEVI formula funds over five years, according to ODOT. Private companies must cover at least 20% of project costs. ODOT's page lists $52.2 million across fiscal years 2022 to 2026 and says it had obligated $32.3 million, described as all the federal funding needed for the Round 2 roads, as of its November 2025 update. The page does not give a current total obligated figure. In its April bulletin the agency noted that federal NEVI money cannot be used for other purposes such as state road or bridge maintenance. ODOT moved the US 97 and I-5 corridors into later rounds after cancelling their agreements.
ODOT's NEVI station design calls for four or more DC fast charging ports providing at least 150 kW simultaneously at each station.
Round 3: Where the Dropped Corridor Lands
The cancelled I-5 segment now joins a Round 3 list that ODOT says covers I-5, I-82, I-84 and I-405, plus US 20, 26, 95, 97 and 101 and OR 42. The goal is at least 20 public DC fast charging stations. The April bulletin had already said the third round would focus on rural gaps: I-82, OR 42, US 95, US 101 south of Reedsport, US 20 east of Bend and US 26 east of Prineville. With the I-5 segment added, Round 3 now covers that stretch of I-5 as well as those rural roads.
What It Means for Drivers
As of late October 2026, ODOT's program page describes the Gladstone station as the first NEVI-funded station in Oregon yet to open. Here is the expected timeline from ODOT's own statements:
- December 2026 (expected): Gladstone 76 on I-205 should become the state's first NEVI station. ODOT's station design calls for four or more ports providing at least 150 kW simultaneously.
- Early 2027 (expected): At least five Round 2 stations on I-84 or US 20, 26, 97 or 101 should open. ODOT has not said which ones.
- Later (under signed agreement, no date): The other Round 2 stations, out of 24 total, have signed agreements but no public opening dates.
- Not yet awarded: No NEVI station is under contract for I-5 south of Eugene. That corridor is back in the Round 3 competition, which opened Oct. 21, 2026.
For drivers heading south from Eugene toward the California border, the cancellation means federally funded fast charging on that part of I-5 is no longer on a contracted schedule. Any station there has to be selected in Round 3 and then go through agreement, construction and commissioning. The sources reviewed for this article do not cover existing non-NEVI chargers along that route. Drivers should check current charging maps and network apps before a trip and not count on planned NEVI sites.
The sources don't give pricing for any of these stations. Per-kWh or per-minute rates will be set by the operators, and none have been published in ODOT's materials.
Reading the Record
Oregon's NEVI program has two very different track records so far. Round 1 lost two of its three corridors after the agreements were signed, about a year apart. Round 2 has every grantee under signed agreement within about six months of selection and a public target for early openings. Neither tells us yet how many ports will be working by the end of 2027. December's Gladstone opening will be the first real test of whether ODOT's projected dates hold.
