States get final OK to build highway EV charging network

WASHINGTON — Attention, potential car buyers: New electric vehicle charging stations are on their way to highway locations near you. All 50 states received final approval Tuesday to begin construction on a first nationwide network of EV charging stations that places one roughly every 50 miles along interstate highways, part of the Biden administration’s plan to spur widespread adoption of zero-emission cars. The Transportation Department said it had OK’d EV charger plans from a last set of 17 states, triggering the release of $1.5 billion in federal funds to all jurisdictions nationwide — or $5 billion over five years — to install or upgrade chargers along 75,000 miles of highway from coast to coast, with a goal of 500,000 EV chargers nationwide. He said the plans will “help ensure that Americans in every part of the country — from the largest cities to the most rural communities — can be positioned to unlock the savings and benefits of electric vehicles.” The approval is a major step toward building widespread acceptance and use of electric vehicles among consumers, who most often express hesitancy over EVs’ shorter range and limited availability of public chargers. Vermont wrote that “Unmanaged or unplanned for EV charging could cause utilities to incur significant costs to maintain grid reliability and create challenges for grid operators” and that some locations “may also necessitate intensive grid upgrades and buildout.” Mississippi cited potential shortages of EV charging station equipment, which it said “may cause significant setbacks” in construction.