{"id":11884,"date":"2026-11-02T21:14:46","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T13:14:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/subian-electric.com\/?p=11884"},"modified":"2026-11-02T21:14:46","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T13:14:46","slug":"ev-charging-hubs-highway-substations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/subian-electric.com\/ru\/blog\/ev-charging-hubs-highway-substations\/","title":{"rendered":"Which Authoritative Data Sources Should You Use to Plan EV Charging Hubs and Highway Substations?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A once modest highway service plaza requiring one pad-mounted transformer for its lighting, fueling, and convenience store now finds itself challenging the capacity of a small town. The emergence of twenty fast chargers for vehicles and one or more megawatt-class chargers for large electric trucks has transformed the original question of \u201cwhich transformer?\u201d into the newly complicated question of \u201cwhere will the substation be located and who will construct it?\u201d<\/p>\n

And making the wrong choice is very costly. If the connection to the grid is oversized, the project will have idle capacity. If it is undersized, the site will be dug up again once the traffic is increased. The solution to this dilemma is to rely on reliable sources of information, not vendor advertisement and good guess: public databases of substations, studies made by national laboratories, utility maps of hosting capacity, standards of charging, etc.<\/p>\n

In this publication, the important sources of information are presented, explaining their advantages and disadvantages, as well as how they can be applied for estimation of the load and planning the substations within highway EV charging stations.<\/p>\n

The most useful authoritative data sources<\/span> for planning EV charging hubs<\/span> \u0438\u0437\u043e\u043b\u044f\u0446\u0438\u0438 highway substations<\/span> are the U.S. DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center station data, NREL\u2019s national charging network study, the FHWA NEVI rules in 23 CFR 680, utility hosting capacity maps, utility corridor studies such as National Grid\u2019s Electric Highways study, the EU\u2019s AFIR regulation for European corridors, and the SAE J3271 and IEC TS 63379 megawatt charging standards. Together they tell you how many chargers a site needs, how much power each one draws and whether the local grid can supply it. When a hub\u2019s demand reaches several megawatts, the answer is usually a medium-voltage connection or a dedicated substation rather than a low-voltage service.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Why Highway EV Charging Hubs Need Substation-Level Planning<\/h2>\n

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From a Few Chargers to Multi-Megawatt Hubs<\/h3>\n

Early highway charging sites had two or four chargers of 50 kW. Today\u2019s minimum for federally funded U.S. corridor sites is four ports at 150 kW each, and new commercial sites routinely install 350 kW dispensers in banks of 10 to 20. National Grid\u2019s Electric Highways study of 71 highway sites in New York and Massachusetts found that many sites will need twenty or more fast chargers, that more than a quarter of the sites studied will need as much power as an outdoor sports stadium within 10 years, and that some could need the power of a small town within two decades (National Grid, Electric Highways study, 2022<\/a>). The study summary uses roughly 5 MW for a stadium and 20 MW for a small town.<\/p>\n

What Changes When Electric Trucks Arrive<\/h3>\n

Heavy trucks change the scale again. The Megawatt Charging System (MCS) connector is rated for up to 1,250 V DC and 3,000 A, or 3.75 MW per vehicle. SAE published J3271 in March 2025, and the IEC released the connector standard as IEC TS 63379 in February 2026 (Megawatt Charging System<\/a>). A truck stop with a handful of MCS dispensers can therefore demand more power than a whole row of car chargers.<\/p>\n

At that point the limiting factor is no longer the charger hardware. It is the grid connection, and in most cases the highway substation<\/span> that has to supply it.<\/p>\n

The Authoritative Data Sources and What Each One Answers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u0418\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0447\u043d\u0438\u043a<\/td>\nPublisher<\/td>\nWhat it tells you<\/td>\nWhat it does not tell you<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Alternative Fueling Station Locator and quarterly trends<\/td>\nU.S. DOE, Alternative Fuels Data Center<\/td>\nExisting public charging stations, ports and connector types by location<\/td>\nFuture demand or grid capacity<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The 2030 National Charging Network<\/td>\nNREL for DOE<\/td>\nNational charging needs by 2030, including fast-charging ports<\/td>\nSite-level loads<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
NEVI program rules (23 CFR 680)<\/td>\nU.S. Federal Highway Administration<\/td>\nMinimum charger configuration for federally funded corridor sites<\/td>\nGrid upgrade cost or timing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Electric Highways study<\/td>\nNational Grid with CALSTART, RMI, Geotab and Stable Auto<\/td>\nProjected power demand at real highway sites through 2045<\/td>\nResults for regions outside New York and Massachusetts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hosting capacity maps<\/td>\nIndividual utilities, indexed by DOE<\/td>\nApproximate spare capacity on local feeders<\/td>\nSite-specific interconnection answers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
AFIR, Regulation (EU) 2023\/1804<\/td>\n\u0415\u0432\u0440\u043e\u043f\u0435\u0439\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0421\u043e\u044e\u0437<\/td>\nMandatory charging pool spacing and power on the TEN-T network<\/td>\nGrid capacity at specific sites<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Global EV Outlook<\/td>\nInternational Energy Agency<\/td>\nGlobal EV and charging trends for market context<\/td>\nLocal site data<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SAE J3271 and IEC TS 63379<\/td>\nSAE International and IEC<\/td>\nMaximum power of megawatt truck charging<\/td>\nActual utilization at a site<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

AFDC Station Locator: What Already Exists<\/h3>\n

The DOE\u2019s Alternative Fuels Data Center maintains the national database of public charging stations, and its quarterly EV charging infrastructure trends<\/a> reports summarize growth by charger level and region. Industry analyses of AFDC data counted 71,398 public DC fast-charging ports in the United States as of 1 April 2026. Planners use it to map gaps between existing sites along a corridor and to see which competitors are already present at an interchange.<\/p>\n

NREL 2030 National Charging Network: How Much Is Needed<\/h3>\n

NREL\u2019s national study estimated that supporting an anticipated 30 to 42 million light-duty EVs by 2030 would require about 182,000 publicly accessible fast-charging ports and about 1 million public Level 2 ports, alongside about 26.8 million private ports (Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, 2030 National Charging Network<\/a>). Comparing that 182,000 target with today\u2019s roughly 71,000 public DC fast ports shows how much corridor charging, and grid connection, is still to be built.<\/p>\n

FHWA NEVI and 23 CFR 680: The Minimum Configuration<\/h3>\n

The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program sets the baseline for federally funded U.S. corridor sites. Its minimum standards in 23 CFR 680 require four charging ports with 150 kW capacity each, which means at least 600 kW of charging per site. Updated FHWA guidance issued in August 2025 removed the strict 50-mile spacing requirement for Alternative Fuel Corridors while keeping the 23 CFR 680 minimum standards in force (Electrification Coalition, NEVI updated guidance<\/a>). Program funding has changed more than once since 2025, so the current state plan should be checked before relying on NEVI timelines.<\/p>\n

National Grid Electric Highways Study: Site-Level Demand<\/h3>\n

Most data sources describe charger counts. The Electric Highways study is one of the few that translates traffic into megawatts at real highway sites. Its key findings for substation planning are that some sites will exceed the delivery limits of the low-voltage distribution grid by 2030, that grid upgrades take years, and that many highway sites lie near high-voltage transmission lines that already follow the same routes. It recommends identifying \u201cno-regrets\u201d sites and building their grid connections once, for the long-term load.<\/p>\n

Hosting Capacity Maps: What the Local Grid Can Take<\/h3>\n

A hosting capacity map shows approximately how much new load or generation a distribution feeder can accept without upgrades. The DOE\u2019s U.S. Atlas of Electric Distribution System Hosting Capacity Maps<\/a> indexes the maps published by utilities and state agencies; as of May 2024, 58 utilities and agencies in 26 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico had published them. The DOE is clear about the limits: the maps do not answer site-specific interconnection questions, and developers should confirm capacity with the utility. Look for maps labeled \u201cload\u201d or \u201cEV\u201d, not maps for distributed generation.<\/p>\n

EU AFIR: Corridor Requirements in Europe<\/h3>\n

In Europe, Regulation (EU) 2023\/1804<\/a>, the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), turns corridor planning into a legal requirement. The TEN-T core network has set out requirements for fast charging network of cars and vans. For every 60 km distance there has to be fast-charging pools, with an output of at least 400 kW by the end of 2025, increasing to 600 kW by the end of 2027. The minimum requirement is one charger of output capacity of 150 kW. For heavy commercial vehicles the main requirement set is for a pool of a total power output of 3,600 kW every 60 km with each individual charging unit having an output of 350 kW. Hence the total pool of 3.6 MW will require a special medium voltage line connection in almost every case.<\/span><\/p>\n

IEA Global EV Outlook: Global Context<\/h3>\n

The International Energy Agency\u2019s Global EV Outlook<\/a> is the source of information for countries that do projects outside the US and EU. According to estimates from the IEA, May 2026 saw more than seven million public chargers worldwide by the end of 2025, with over 65% happening in China. It is helpful in understanding the market but does not help with any site decisions regarding the network.<\/p>\n

Charging Standards: The Power per Vehicle<\/h3>\n

Charger specifications define the maximum power that can be used by one dispenser. For cars there are already common use of high power DC dispensers of 150 kW to 400 kW of power. For trucks MCS sets the limit at 3.75 MW. However, it should be noted that a truck uses less power for the most of time during a session. Nonetheless, it is necessary to have grid connections and transformers rated for the maximum charging power in accordance with this specification.<\/span><\/p>\n

Turning Data into a Load Estimate for an EV Charging Hub<\/h2>\n

The sources of information provide the amount of chargers available and their ratings. In order to determine the size of the substation for an EV charging station, one needs to know the total power in MVA and the current for each voltage level. The following table provides three examples. The diversity factors used in the table are only for examples as not all chargers will be used fully at the same time; the actual factor should be derived from charge-management design and expected usage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Example hub<\/td>\nNameplate charging<\/td>\nAssumed diversity<\/td>\nDesign demand<\/td>\nCurrent at 0.4 kV<\/td>\nCurrent at 10 kV<\/td>\nCurrent at 35 kV<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
NEVI minimum: 4 \u00d7 150 kW<\/td>\n0.6 MW<\/td>\n1.0<\/td>\n0.63 MVA<\/td>\nabout 910 A<\/td>\nabout 36 A<\/td>\nabout 10 A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Car hub: 20 \u00d7 350 kW<\/td>\n7.0 MW<\/td>\n0.7<\/td>\n5.2 MVA<\/td>\nabout 7,400 A<\/td>\nabout 300 A<\/td>\nabout 85 A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Car and truck hub: 12 \u00d7 350 kW plus 8 trucks at 1 MW<\/td>\n12.2 MW<\/td>\n0.8<\/td>\n10.3 MVA<\/td>\nabout 14,800 A<\/td>\nabout 590 A<\/td>\nabout 170 A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The trend is obvious. A NEVI minimum hub only requires one low voltage electricity supply. However, it has been calculated that a 20-dispense facility at 0.4 kV would require at least 7,000 A, an unsolvable task for a low voltage switchboard. The hub is likely to be supplied at medium voltage through multiple transformers. The car and truck facility requires about 10 MVA, or is close to the size of a small distribution substation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reducing Peak Demand with Storage and Managed Charging<\/h3>\n

A BESS system can slow charge from the grid, then discharge at peak times. Managed charging distributes site power capacity across the vehicles connected, achieving something similar by software means. Both methods lower the required substation size, while at the same time using some extra devices and controls.<\/span> Subian\u2019s guides to the \u043a\u043e\u043c\u043f\u0430\u043a\u0442\u043d\u0430\u044f \u043f\u043e\u0434\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043d\u0446\u0438\u044f \u0434\u043b\u044f \u0445\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0435\u043d\u0438\u044f \u044d\u043d\u0435\u0440\u0433\u0438\u0438<\/a> and to \u0440\u0430\u0441\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u0435\u043b\u0438\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0435 \u0443\u0441\u0442\u0440\u043e\u0439\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0430 \u043c\u0438\u043a\u0440\u043e\u044d\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0442\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0435\u0442\u0435\u0439<\/a> explain how storage and multiple sources connect at the switchgear level.<\/p>\n

When a Highway Charging Hub Needs Its Own Substation<\/h2>\n

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Typical Supply Arrangements by Hub Size<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Hub demand<\/td>\nTypical supply arrangement<\/td>\nMain equipment owned by the site<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Up to about 1 MVA<\/td>\nLow-voltage service from a utility or customer transformer<\/td>\nOne pad-mounted or compact transformer, LV switchboard<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
About 1 to 5 MVA<\/td>\nMedium-voltage service from an existing distribution feeder<\/td>\nMV switchgear or RMU, several 1 to 2.5 MVA transformers, LV boards per charger group<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
About 5 to 20 MVA<\/td>\nDedicated MV feeder, or a new substation stepping down from sub-transmission<\/td>\nHV\/MV power transformer, MV switchgear, distribution transformers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Above about 20 MVA<\/td>\nDedicated substation connected to transmission<\/td>\nHV switchyard, one or more power transformers, MV switchgear<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

These bands are indicative for a highway charging hub<\/span>. The actual boundary depends on the utility\u2019s feeder ratings, its service rules and who owns which equipment, so the utility\u2019s interconnection study always has the final word.<\/p>\n

Typical Single-Line Arrangement for a Highway Substation<\/h3>\n