The Minnesota Department of Transportation and Francis Energy recently opened one of the state’s first electric vehicle or EV charging stations made possible through a combination of federal, state, and private investment.

[Above photo by MnDOT]

The EV fast‑charging station in Burnsville, MN, is one of 24 sites selected statewide to receive funding via the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure or NEVI program.

All 24 of those NEVI-funded sites will be operational or under construction this summer, with more on the way, MnDOT noted.

“Expanding our fast-charging network will provide more confidence, flexibility and opportunity to Minnesotans who are driving EVs, or who want to,” said Nancy Daubenberger, MnDOT commissioner, in a statement.

“That’s why public-private partnerships with companies like Francis Energy are so important as we work to close gaps in EV charging and support a more reliable, accessible transportation network statewide,” she added.

MnDOT said the number of electric vehicles in Minnesota has grown by 1,000 percent since 2018, with EVs as a percentage of car sales more than doubling statewide between 2021 (2.9 percent) and 2025 (6.6 percent).

“Opening our first EV charging station in Minnesota marks a major milestone for [us], expanding our fast-charging network to 10 states as we continue our growth nationwide,” said David Jankowsky, founder and CEO of Francis Energy. “We are grateful to the entire team at MnDOT for their partnership to provide equitable, affordable, reliable, and safe access to public charging stations across the state,” he noted.

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