The Texas Department of Transportation plans to boost electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure with a five-year plan that includes adding large interstate charging stations, even though electric vehicles make up less than one percent of vehicles in Texas.
According to the Texas Tribune, “the plan is to have charging stations every 50 miles on most non-commercial interstate roads.”
“TxDOT [Texas Department of Transportation] will work with the private sector to develop an electric vehicle charging network. by FHWA [Federal Highway Administration] The guidance plan will start with alternative fuel electricity corridors and then work on rural/small urban areas and MPOs. [metropolitan planning organizations] statewide,” says a draft TxDOT report.
“Non-alternative fuel corridors will be lined up by VMT [vehicle miles traveled] and continues to be developed. The district will primarily focus on rural areas along with the District of Columbia. [direct current] Fast charging stations and MPOs will install a combination of DC and Tier II stations specified by the MPO,” he continued, noting that the department will “balance the network distribution between urban and rural area and allocate funds on a 50/50 basis each year. after the construction of alternative fuel electricity corridors.
According to the report, “typical features” for electric alternative fuel corridors and rural areas will include a maximum power of 150-350kW with a time limit of 45 minutes. Signs recommend charging vehicles to 80 percent, and stations can get a vehicle “from 10 percent to 80 percent in about half an hour,” according to the Tribune.
The Texas Tribune explained:
The funding comes from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed last year. Texas is expected to receive approximately $408 million over five years. expanding the electric vehicle charging network. Funds from the state budget will not be used. The goal at the national level is to have a network of 500,000 useful and reliable EV chargers by 2030. $35.44 billion in five years for roads, bridges, pipelines, ports, broadband and other projects.
This project was planned even though less than 1 percent of registered vehicles in Texas are electrified. According to the report, as of May 31, 2022, there are 129,010 electric vehicles registered in Texas.
According to TxDOT report [emphasis added]:
EVs are registered in 233 counties out of 254 counties in Texas. Recorded EV distribution: 73.8% battery electric vehicles and 26.2% plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Non-Tesla car models make up almost half of all electric vehicles registered in the state. In addition, more than a quarter of electric vehicles are 2021 models.
But the ministry said infrastructure needs to be upgraded to support rising EV ownership rates, which have tripled in the Lone Star State since 2020.
The news comes at a time when Americans continue to grapple with high gas prices, but a solution has yet to be seen. In fact, President Biden’s energy secretary Jennifer Granholm recently acknowledged that the current situation is “unsustainable”, but also said it’s a “very strong situation” for Americans to switch to an electric vehicle.
“If you refuel your electric vehicle and fill your fuel tank with fuel, you can save $60 per fill by switching to electricity instead of fuel, but it’s a very challenging situation. But we still want to reduce the price at the point of purchase,” he said.
Biden Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm has insisted that high gas prices are a “very strong argument” for buying an electric car. pic.twitter.com/pMpLIoXBKR
– RNA Research (@RNCResearch) 14 June 2022
Biden made a similar claim.
“According to my pre-congress plan, we can leverage the next generation of electric vehicles – the average driver could save about $80 a month by not paying for gas at a gas station,” Biden said in a speech. In March, he added that the United States should “double up on our commitment to green energy.”
Source: Breitbart
