The rising popularity of electric cars means more access to charging stations is critical. That's why the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) held a webinar Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss plans for expanding access to charging stations throughout the state.
WisDOT wanted to address the new program and how it would expand to provide comfort to those with electric vehicles, understanding that one of the biggest concerns was switching over to an electric vehicle, and drivers not being able to get to their destination with one charge, and there wasn't access to charging stations along the way.
Over the next five years, WisDOT estimates to receive $78.65 million thanks to the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure system. They hope to develop a network of charging stations along Wisconsin's Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFC).
WisDOT launched a statewide transportation electrifications study in January, then in March established the Wisconsin Electric Vehicle Infrastructure plan development process.
Kaleb Vander Wiele, project manager for the plan development process and part of the division of budget strategic initiatives for WisDOT discussed the goals set up for this plan and how they’re setting up a plan to do so. The first goal of this program is to be able to expand the amount of electric vehicle charging stations in the state. The second goal is to be able to set up about a half million of these charging stations nationally throughout US Highways.
Charging stations under this program have to be installed at fifty-mile intervals along the highway system and then the charging stations that are installed and funded need to be within one miles of the highways.
The program is specifically created to build out the electric vehicle charging system along specifically placed Alternative Fuel Corridors. The current AFC system in Wisconsin includes I-90, I-94, I-43, I-41, I-535, US 53 and US 151.
In the most recent nomination process for these AFC, Wisconsin chose parts of US 51, WIS 29, US 2, and US 141, and all of US 8 and US 41. Vander Wiele said that they are looking to have a full complete system of alternative fuel corridors across the state so they system can serve not just the southern 2/3 of the state, but the northern 1/3 as well.
Their overall vision is to be able to create a plan that supports a convenient, affordable, reliable, and equitable statewide and national electric vehicle network specific to Wisconsin’s geography.
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Source: WisDOT
