The Oregon Department of Transportation expects to begin construction of seven electric vehicle charging stations along the U.S. Highway 97 corridor in 2025 despite a federal funding freeze that nixed billions for EV infrastructure across the country.

New chargers will span from Klamath Falls to Shaniko, with each station separated by about 30 miles.

The funding comes from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program, which was created by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to strategically deploy fast EV chargers across the country.

Oregon was promised $52 million for new chargers. But a Feb. 6 memo from the Federal Highway Administration told states it was pausing the program to make sure it complied with new priorities from the Trump Administration.

The memo was a response to President Donald Trump’s Day One executive order “Unleashing American Energy,” which called for an immediate pause on EV funding nationwide.

State officials told Oregon Public Broadcasting they still expect $26 million from the initial earmark to make its way to Oregon — $10.5 million of which will be spent on charging stations along Interstate 5, Interstate 205 and Highway 97. Those stations are in the final stages of contracts with chargers set to come online in the last few months of the year, according to Matt Noble, a spokesperson for ODOT.

All of the chargers are DC fast chargers, the fastest available for public use, Noble said. He said the chargers can bring the battery of a newer EV from 10% to 80% in about 20 or 30 minutes.

That’s ideal for people traveling longer distances, Noble said.

“They’re pretty fast, they have a lot of power. They do need a lot of electricity to make them work,” Noble said.

“(Drivers) can stop for 20 minutes, charge right up, maybe stop by a local Dairy Queen, get a treat and come back when the car is ready to go.”

New chargers will be installed at the Dairy Queen restaurants in Bend and Madras.

Others are slated for E Street in Shaniko, the La Pine Chamber of Commerce, the Eagle Crater Lake Inn in Chemult, the Kla-Mo-Ya Casino in Chiloquin and The Growler Guys in Klamath Falls. Each station will feature four ports.

The new station will bolster a growing network of charging stations in Central Oregon. The region already has a high number of EV chargers per capita when compared to other parts of the state, said Diane Hodiak, executive director of 350 Deschutes, a climate advocacy group that helps governments, nonprofits and businesses find funding for EV infrastructure.

“I can drive to Portland real easily,” said Hodiak, who drives a Chevy Bolt, an EV with a range of about 240 miles.

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EV charging projects in Deschutes County received $179,000 in the latest round of a state rebate program, helping to fund 34 new charging ports, and 350 Deschutes is helping develop new charging ports funded by Pacific Power near the Jefferson County School District in Madras. That project hasn’t been affected by federal funding changes, Hodiak said.

Despite the recent freeze, Hodiak said she is optimistic about the future of EVs, particularly because the Trump Administration hasn’t rolled back federal tax credits for purchasing them and production is continuing.

“There’s only so much you can do to fight progress,” she said. “When something is cheaper than the alternative, people are going to want it.”

But the freeze on Oregon’s $52 million leaves a question mark for EV infrastructure on less-traveled roads. Noble said the state’s plans to build new stations on eight highways from the Columbia River Gorge to the coast are now on hold, including plans for new chargers on U.S. Highway 26 and U.S. Highway 20.

The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs received $2.6 million in infrastructure law funding for EV chargers last month, enough for 18 charging ports between Madras and Warm Springs. Byron Kimball, a spokesperson for the tribe, said the tribe hasn’t received official notice about the freezing of its award, only the blanket notice about the status of the executive orders.