U.S. Government To Launch First Highway Charging Network
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With more and more automakers beginning to roll out longer-range electric vehicles that can get hundreds of miles on a single charge, there has been more of a push by federal regulators to bring alternative power into the mainstream. The Obama Administration's plan to address the lack of places to charge electric vehicles is a simple one: add charging stations on 55 interstate highways, covering 25,000 miles, in 35 different states across the country. Government officials are also making a concerted effort to make other alternative fuels, such as natural gas, more readily available. With these factored in, this alternative fueling network covers around 85,000 miles of road.
This new refueling network couldn't have come at a better time, as many automakers are beginning to launch plug-in electric vehicles targeted towards a more mainstream demographic.
Plug-ins have always carried a larger price tag than their fossil fuel-powered counterparts, But with Tesla rolling out it's new Model 3 and the Chevrolet Bolt scheduled to hit dealer lots soon, both of which are priced around $30,000, many more Americans may be plugging in rather than gassing up to refuel their cars in the near future. This will require a much greater number of readily accessible charging stations, especially if these vehicles are to be taken on long journeys or cross-country road trips.
This new fueling network will cover some of the country’s most important
highways, including most of Interstate-80, which runs from New York to
California, and much of Interstates 5 and 95, which run up the West and
East Coasts, respectively.
