Florida redirects $200M in EV-charger funds to air taxis

Florida has more electric vehicles than every US state except one, but fewer chargers per vehicle than the national average. Despite that gap, state officials have decided to redirect federal funding earmarked for EV charging toward building an electric air taxi network instead, according to a report from the Miami Herald.

Florida was awarded nearly $200 million under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The state never spent the money, arguing that private companies had already done an adequate job building out EV charging networks on their own. The Florida Department of Transportation said it will instead use the funds to build 32 landing pads with charging stations for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, or eVTOLs.

The eVTOL market remains nascent. Startups have made strides toward production-ready aircraft, but several have also started pivoting toward defense applications. Still, the Florida DOT is hopeful that the small aircraft — which generally hold four to five passengers — will help ease the state’s notorious traffic congestion.

The reallocation is possible under updated guidance from the Trump administration governing the NEVI program: states with charging corridors it considers fully built out can now redirect the funding toward EV charging infrastructure on any public road or other publicly accessible location. Other states have taken a different path with the same money — New York and North Carolina have used NEVI funds to build chargers in communities, giving renters and homeowners without assigned parking a way to charge their vehicles.

Florida’s plan envisions landing pads and chargers for air taxis at locations like golf courses, luxury apartment buildings, and airports, the Herald reported.

Why it matters

Redirecting federal EV-charging money to an unproven aircraft category is a bet that traffic relief matters more than charging access — and a signal that other states with “built out” NEVI corridors could follow Florida’s lead in repurposing the same funds.