Evolution of NEVI Implementation Across New England States: A Comparative Longitudinal Analysis of EV Infrastructure Governance

The transition toward transportation electrification has accelerated significantly in the United States through the implementation of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This study examines the evolution of NEVI implementation across the six New England states from 2022 to 2026 within a shared federal policy framework. Using a qualitative comparative longitudinal document analysis approach, the research analyzed state NEVI plans, annual implementation updates, transportation electrification strategies, and policy documents through thematic comparative analysis. The findings revealed that NEVI implementation evolved beyond compliance-oriented charging deployment toward broader adaptive governance and sustainability-oriented transportation processes. States demonstrated varying implementation trajectories shaped by institutional coordination, utility collaboration, operational adaptation, equity priorities, and infrastructure planning strategies. The results further indicated increasing emphasis on resilient infrastructure planning, interoperability, cybersecurity, operational continuity, and equitable charging accessibility throughout the implementation period. The study concludes that EV infrastructure implementation should be understood not only as a technical deployment initiative but also as an evolving socio-technical sustainability transition process influenced by adaptive governance and institutional maturation. This research contributes to the sustainability governance literature by providing a comparative regional analysis of the evolution of transportation electrification implementation across multiple jurisdictions under a shared federal policy framework.