A Newton gas station has received first round funding from the Iowa Department of Transportation for the National Electric Vehicles Infrastructure program. The five year federal program is designed to create a network of electric vehicle charging stations along interstates and fuel corridors. In Iowa, over $16.2 million in the first round funding of will help install 28 new electric vehicle (EV) direct-current, fast-charging (DCFC) stations along interstates. Newton’s BP Gas has been awarded $583,500, and the Iowa Department of Transportation puts the local station’s installation cost at $778,000. State DOT Spokeswoman Deb Arp says the federal program is providing $7.5 billion nationwide, with Iowa’s allocation amounting to about $10.3 million per year. She notes program applications from 80 private entities in the state were received in March. More than $5.6 million in private funding will be used to complete the installation of Iowa’s 28 new electric vehicle charging stations. All the selected sites in the state, including BP Gas in Newton, are no more than one mile from the interstate and will include a minimum of four charging ports. Those ports will provide continuous charging of at least 150 kilowatts of power per port concurrently.