Electric Highway Coalition aims to expand charging stations for electric vehicles
CLEVELAND — Six major utility companies, including Columbus based American Electric Power, are working on a plan that would give electric vehicle drivers access to a network of charging stations.
AEP, Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, Entergy, Southern Co. and the Tennessee Valley Authority are working in collaboration to form the Electric Highway Coalition.
The network spans from Michigan to Texas and stretches along the East coast to Virginia.
The Edison Electric Institute estimates that 18 million electric vehicles will be on U.S. roads by 2030. Many drivers are concerned about the availability of charging stations during long road trips.
While the coalition forms, details are still scarce on the number of charging stations, where they will be located or even a timeline for when they will be completed. The intention with the formation of the coalition is to lay out a strategy to make charging stations more accessible.
The hope is for charging stations to be placed along interstates and other major highways where travelers will have access to restaurants and other amenities. It’s estimated to take approximately 20 to 30 minutes for vehicle to recharge.
AEP has further committed to going green by replacing its own fleet of 2,300 vehicles with electric models by 2030.
They’ve also launched a $10 million program to build 375 charging stations across Ohio.
Source: news5cleveland
