Florida Moves Nearly $200 Million in EV Charger Funds to Build 32 eVTOL Vertiports

Overview

• Documents obtained late July 2026 show the Florida Department of Transportation proposes 32 vertiports sited near airports, golf courses, luxury housing and military bases with charging infrastructure at each site.
• The planned work would use roughly $197–$200 million originally awarded to Florida under the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program for public EV fast chargers that the state never spent.
• The Federal Highway Administration reviewed Florida’s highway-charger corridor and found it 'fully built out', and updated NEVI rules permit states to reallocate leftover corridor funds to other publicly accessible charging needs.
• Advocates and clean-energy groups say the shift would divert taxpayer dollars from expanding fast chargers for the state’s large EV population and that proposed vertiport locations appear likely to serve wealthier users.
• Experts note the eVTOL market remains early-stage, manufacturers are still proving commercial service models, and only widespread aircraft deployment would meaningfully reduce road congestion if vertiports are built.