Minnesota says its ninth federally funded NEVI fast-charging station has opened at a Kwik Trip in St. Michael along Interstate 94. But the Minnesota Department of Transportation's program webpage, as inspected November 11, reports nine operational locations as of November 6 while naming only eight in the operational summary beneath that count. The agency's separate November 9 bulletin identifies St. Michael as the ninth; the same program page includes St. Michael elsewhere, in a grant-award table.12
That cross-check resolves the apparent discrepancy in the short list. It does not show that the state's count is wrong, that a ninth station is physically missing, or that a charger was independently tested by this publication.
Where the ninth site is
MnDOT's original November 9 bulletin identifies the new location as a Kwik Trip in St. Michael on I-94. The department's Round 1 award table supplies the practical locator: 4400 O Day Ave NE, St. Michael, Minnesota, at I-94 exit 205.12
| State record | What it establishes | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| November 6 operational summary | MnDOT reports nine operating NEVI-funded locations, but its immediately following short list names eight: Burnsville, North Branch, Stewartville, Moose Lake, Forest Lake, Lake Elmo, Albert Lea and Alexandria.2 | That Minnesota has only eight operating stations |
| November 9 MnDOT bulletin | MnDOT identifies St. Michael's Kwik Trip as station number nine.1 | The precise date it first accepted a charging session |
| Round 1 project-award table | The St. Michael project's I-94 exit 205, address and $660,662.30 maximum grant reimbursement.2 | Actual grant dollars disbursed, station uptime or charging-session pricing |
The award row still labels the project “Awarded Round 1.” That is the funding stage described by the table, not a contradiction of MnDOT's later announcement that the site has opened. Equally, $660,662.30 is a reimbursement ceiling, not proof that the state paid out the full amount.12
What EV drivers can—and cannot—verify from these records
For an I-94 driver, the useful new information is a state-announced NEVI charging stop at a specific exit and street address. The distinction between announced operational and confirmed ready for an individual charging session still matters. Neither state document provides a verified, St. Michael-specific live price, successful payment receipt, measured charging rate or current uptime. The November 9 publication date should not be mistaken for a confirmed commissioning date.12
Before relying on the stop for a trip, a driver still needs to check its current network listing and displayed session price. MnDOT's documents establish the reported opening and location—not a live availability guarantee.
Sources
Footnotes
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Minnesota Department of Transportation, “November Updates — Minnesota Electric Vehicle Infrastructure”, November 9, 2026, 8:30 a.m. CST. Original government bulletin announcing Kwik Trip's St. Michael location as Minnesota's ninth NEVI station; does not specify the actual opening day or independently tested performance. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5
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Minnesota Department of Transportation, “National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program in Minnesota”, operational summary dated November 6, 2026, directly inspected November 11, 2026. States nine operational locations, names eight in the immediately following summary, and separately lists the St. Michael Round 1 award at I-94 exit 205, 4400 O Day Ave NE, with maximum reimbursement of $660,662.30. The award table is not proof of disbursement or live site performance. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6