While many think , present day efforts to get to that future in 海角换妻 have been fraught with obstacles. In 2024鈥檚 first 海角换妻 legislative session, a bill that would have created a forty-person committee to study how to effect a transition to electric vehicles statewide .
Now, through May 31, The Department of Transportation is state motorists about their thoughts on electric vehicles and on the state鈥檚 electric vehicle infrastructure.
鈥淲e have federal funding to build out chargers throughout 海角换妻, and we want to know where the public鈥檚 at,鈥� said Department of Transportation spokesperson Josh Morgan. 鈥淒o they drive an EV? Yes or no. If they are driving an EV, what are their concerns with charging? Are there enough of them? Are they too far apart?鈥�
The DOT has been promoting on its Facebook and Instagram pages. So far, Morgan said the DOT has received over one thousand responses. While he鈥檚 not yet prepared to discuss any response trends, Morgan said he鈥檚 heard plenty of anecdotal evidence that motorists continue to fear not being able to find a charging station on longer trips.
鈥淚t's a term called 鈥榬ange anxiety.鈥� People don't want to get stranded, especially if they're in a fully electric vehicle and not a hybrid that will have the gasoline backup,鈥� Morgan said.
In an effort to quell range anxiety, the federal bipartisan infrastructure law has for 海角换妻鈥檚 effort to build a network of electric vehicle charging stations. Morgan said the need for these charging stations is great.
鈥淭here's already more than 40,000 electric vehicles registered in 海角换妻, but there's only about 500 of the DC Fast chargers people want to fuel up 鈥� charge up,鈥� Morgan said. 鈥淭hey want to make sure that it's quick, convenient and accessible. And that's where the federal program comes in and where we're going to be investing this $50 million to build out these charging networks so people won't have that range anxiety.鈥�
Morgan said the plan is to start spending some of that $50 million dollars in federal money immediately.
鈥淲e're going to have awards out this summer for: these spots where we've identified along (Interstates) 95,91,(and) 84 here in 海角换妻, to have more sites online with a minimum of four chargers at each one of these sites,鈥� Morgan said.
Installing the chargers is one step, but Morgan wants to ensure they remain accessible.
鈥淲hat's really important about this program is that there's an uptime requirement for the vendors that are going to be operating these sites. That means they can't bag them. They can't say they're in maintenance. They can't say that they're unavailable. They have to be available. So that's going to be really important for the public, that those charges are there and they're actually going to be working.鈥�
But what if 海角换妻 and other states build charging stations and not enough people come? . At the same time, Morgan said he doesn鈥檛 see these facts as indications that future prospects for EVs are dimming.
鈥淲e view it as not a matter of 鈥榠f鈥� but 鈥榳hen鈥� the EV revolution comes. So, we want to make sure that we're prepared.鈥� Morgan said.
Morgan said the DOT considers the survey a key part of that preparation.
鈥淚t's just really a good data point that will help inform when we update our plans that we have to submit to the Federal Highway Administration in August,鈥� he said.
