Ohio Awards Funding for Three New EV Charging Sites in Portage County

Ohio is expanding its electric vehicle charging network with a new round of funding that includes three planned charging locations in Portage County.

The Ohio Department of Transportation has announced $51 million in funding through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program to support 64 new EV charging sites statewide. The public investment will be combined with more than $26 million in private funding from selected developers and site partners.

In Portage County, the selected locations are Love’s Travel Stop at 4352 State Route 225 in Palmyra Township, Aldi at 9570 State Route 14 in Streetsboro, and Sheetz at 1255 Sanctuary View Drive in Brimfield Township. Together, the three projects represent approximately $3.9 million in total investment, including about $2.55 million in public funding and $1.37 million in private matching contributions.

The Love’s Travel Stop project has a total estimated cost of $1.68 million, supported by $806,304 in public funding and $873,496 from private sources. The Aldi site in Streetsboro is valued at $1.31 million, with $1.05 million in public funding and $262,339 in private match. The Sheetz project in Brimfield Township is expected to cost $922,054, including $691,541 from the state and $230,514 in matching private investment.

The new stations will add to Portage County’s existing EV charging infrastructure, which includes locations near Kent State University, the Portage County Regional Transit Authority’s Kent Central Gateway parking garage, Windham Village, Garrettsville, Aurora Memorial Library, and the Brimfield Meijer site.

According to ODOT, each new NEVI-funded location will include at least four charging ports capable of delivering 150 kW per port. Sites are also expected to provide access to nearby amenities such as restrooms and food services. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2027, with many locations anticipated to open by the end of that year.

The funding round includes developers and partners such as Aldi, BP Products North America, Francis Energy Charging, Heartland Charging Service, Love’s Travel Stops, Mid Cour EV Charging Solutions, Pilot Travel Centers, Red E Charging, Sheetz, Tesla, and United Dairy Farmers.

Ohio currently has 126,212 registered electric vehicles, and EV adoption in the state reached 5% of new vehicle registrations for the first time in September 2025.

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