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EV Charging Network Will Target Interstates Before Expanding Into Remote Rural and Crowded Urban Areas

RickLightning

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- one every 50 miles
- within 1 mile
- at least 4 chargers, each at least 150kW
- $615 million to be granted in first year
- biggest allocations to Texas, California, and Florida

EV Charging Network Will Target Interstates - from the 2/10/22 WSJ, by Timothy Puko

The $5 billion program to create a national network of electric-vehicle charging stations will give priority to interstate highways and fast chargers before expanding into remote rural and crowded urban areas, federal officials said.

On Thursday, Biden administration officials plan to roll out guidelines for states applying for federal funds to build the charging stations. The charging network is considered a key part of the administration’s plan to accelerate a transition to clean-energy vehicles.

Dotting the interstate-highway corridors with charging stations is considered a priority because it will give EV motorists confidence that they can take long-distance trips without trouble recharging, the officials said.

The roughly $1 trillion federal infrastructure bill approved by Congress last year included two pots of money for charging stations totaling $7.5 billion, which could start going out to states as early as September, according to federal officials.

The larger pot, $5 billion, is designated for high-use corridors that connect the entire country.

As part of the plans being released Thursday, the administration would grant $615 million to states in the first 12 months of that program—with the biggest allocations to Texas, California and Florida—using a formula that mirrors traditional federal highway grants to states.

The guidelines will stipulate that states should focus on interstates before building elsewhere.

Under the guidelines, the U.S. transportation secretary will certify plans that connect high-use corridors, mostly interstates. Many of the corridors are already set by the federal government, but in their grant requests states can ask for approval to adjust or expand them.

Stations will have to be installed every 50 miles, no more than one mile off the interstate, according to a guidance memo by the Federal Highway Administration. And stations will have to have at least 600 kilowatts of total capacity, with ports for at least four cars that can simultaneously deliver at least 150 kilowatts each.

The stations also have to be accessible to the general public, or to fleet operators from more than one company. The locations can include privately owned parking lots if they are open to the general public.

Administration officials said their goal is to accommodate a public that wants recharging stations to be just as easy to access as gas stations for traditional cars. That led them to focus on highway-side locales that would serve drivers using cars and trucks for long family trips, vacations or transporting goods, and stations that could recharge cars quickly.

In its memo, the highway administration said it expects most states to contract with private-sector entities to install and operate the stations. The federal money can support only 80% of the cost of these stations, the memo said.

The Transportation and Energy departments, which are jointly implementing the charging-station programs, said they will announce the rules for the other $2.5 billion in funding later this year.

That pot of money will fund two other discretionary grant programs that can go to any state to further fill in gaps and cover high-demand areas in the nationwide system, and to support disadvantaged communities, especially rural areas, that are underserved or overburdened.
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EVBill

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Would be nice to see these being placed in every rest stop along the interstates for easy on/off, restrooms, etc. They are being short sighted only requiring a minimum of 150kW capability as the next wave of vehicles a year or two from now will be capable of 350kW or more.
 
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RickLightning

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I wouldn't think there is anything preventing the installation from being on the interstate as far as funding.

However, we've speculated that there may not be adequate power feeds to rest areas for chargers, whereas near large retail stores there are.

In addition, the ability to fit a charging station in a rest area is limited as compared to a large parking lot.
 

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Seems smart to go after Interstates first. EV owners will likely have home charging capability, so the urban areas will be self-covered In a way. Rural will likely be the last adopters, but the urban customer base will be what gets the market to critical mass.

The biggest hurdle in most people’s minds to overcome to make the jump to EVs is range anxiety and charging time. People are concerned about long distance travel, even if they actually rarely do it.
 
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ChrisInJAX

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Would be nice to see these being placed in every rest stop along the interstates for easy on/off, restrooms, etc. They are being short sighted only requiring a minimum of 150kW capability as the next wave of vehicles a year or two from now will be capable of 350kW or more.
Hopefully someone has the foresight to include chargers that allow for pull through (ie towing a trailer) instead of just the normal parking spot where the chargers are either in front or between parking spots.
 

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RickLightning

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Hopefully someone has the foresight to include chargers that allow for pull through (ie towing a trailer) instead of just the normal parking spot where the chargers are either in front or between parking spots.
I think that goes without saying given the Lightning.
 

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I wouldn't think there is anything preventing the installation from being on the interstate as far as funding.

However, we've speculated that there may not be adequate power feeds to rest areas for chargers, whereas near large retail stores there are.

In addition, the ability to fit a charging station in a rest area is limited as compared to a large parking lot.
I guess I don't see why a big box store would have a bigger power feed than rest stops. Maybe it is different elsewhere, but in the Northeast rest stops usually have multiple restaurants (fast food usually), a convenience shop, an indoor dining area, and large bathrooms all on a large building (like a small mall) as well as a fuelling area.
 

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I guess I don't see why a big box store would have a bigger power feed than rest stops. Maybe it is different elsewhere, but in the Northeast rest stops usually have multiple restaurants (fast food usually), a convenience shop, an indoor dining area, and large bathrooms all on a large building (like a small mall) as well as a fuelling area.
This is the first rest area on I75 North when you enter Michigan from Toledo.

Ford F-150 Lightning EV Charging Network Will Target Interstates Before Expanding Into Remote Rural and Crowded Urban Areas rest area.PNG
 

sotek2345

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RickLightning

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You need to get better rest stops, this is the one closest to me:
As noted, the size and quality of rest stops varies tremendously. Also, rest stops on toll roads have lots of stuff so you don't have to get off.

@Pioneer74 showed the rest stop leaving Toledo, heading to Detroit. But if you leave the Toledo area and head to Ann Arbor, there's nothing.

More important, let's look for high speed chargers in northern Ohio. Between Dayton (assuming the Huber Heights chargers are working) and Ann Arbor, there is no 150kW+ DC charger. That's 191 miles. The charger that's show east of Toledo is on a Toll Road, that would take you 40 miles out of your way, and cost 2 tolls (1 to go east, 1 to go back west). You could stop at a 50kW charger, if it's at that level (1 plug only) in Lima, Ohio (in a college parking lot), or hit at 62.5kW charger in Dundee, MI that is very expensive mostly because it's shared if more than one car is there.

Every 50 or so miles is absolutely needed. Findlay, Ohio would be a great location for North/South travels.

Ford F-150 Lightning EV Charging Network Will Target Interstates Before Expanding Into Remote Rural and Crowded Urban Areas NE Ohio.PNG
 

EVBill

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I guess I don't see why a big box store would have a bigger power feed than rest stops. Maybe it is different elsewhere, but in the Northeast rest stops usually have multiple restaurants (fast food usually), a convenience shop, an indoor dining area, and large bathrooms all on a large building (like a small mall) as well as a fuelling area.
Rest Area amenities vary greatly from state to state. Places like Indiana and Michigan have pretty much just restroom facilities. What you are describing falls more in line with what you see in toll road Oasis centers, most of which have started putting in vehicle charging facilities at least in the Chicago, Illinois area.
 

EVBill

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As noted, the size and quality of rest stops varies tremendously. Also, rest stops on toll roads have lots of stuff so you don't have to get off.

@Pioneer74 showed the rest stop leaving Toledo, heading to Detroit. But if you leave the Toledo area and head to Ann Arbor, there's nothing.

More important, let's look for high speed chargers in northern Ohio. Between Dayton (assuming the Huber Heights chargers are working) and Ann Arbor, there is no 150kW+ DC charger. That's 191 miles. The charger that's show east of Toledo is on a Toll Road, that would take you 40 miles out of your way, and cost 2 tolls (1 to go east, 1 to go back west). You could stop at a 50kW charger, if it's at that level (1 plug only) in Lima, Ohio (in a college parking lot), or hit at 62.5kW charger in Dundee, MI that is very expensive mostly because it's shared if more than one car is there.

Every 50 or so miles is absolutely needed. Findlay, Ohio would be a great location for North/South travels.

NE Ohio.PNG
Looking at I-75 from Detroit all the way down to Florida, the area that shows the least number of high speed DC charging stations are pretty much from Detroit to Cincinnati. There appears to be a new one going in on the South side of the Toledo area, but still a small number through most of the state of Ohio.
 
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RickLightning

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The only reason that O_io should get more chargers is so we can get out of the state easier!
 

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They'd better start using armor cables now that crooks know what the cord is worth.

US ought to just pay Tesla to put in CCS next to their SC stations. They already have most of the US covered. Why re-invent the wheel. I just need one at Three Rivers.
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