COLUMBUS – Ohio’s interstate highways will soon be dotted with electric vehicle charging stations, thanks to a federal program.
Gov. Mike DeWine on Thursday announced the locations of 27 new electric vehicle charging stations that will be installed along interstates, making Ohio the first state in the nation to announce the locations of charging stations that will be developed as part of the Biden administration’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure.
“As more Ohioans purchase EVs, this statewide network of chargers will ensure that our transportation infrastructure is prepared to accommodate these drivers, as well as visitors who travel to Ohio to see all that our great state has to offer,” DeWine said.
There are currently about 53,000 registered electric vehicles in Ohio.
The charging stations, including those in Franklin, Licking, Madison and Morrow counties in central Ohio, will be installed every 50 miles at existing travel centers, grocery stores, retail shops, a hotel, a restaurant and a bank, located no more than a mile off the freeway, DeWine and Ohio Department of Transportation director Jack Marchbanks said.
Each site will include at least four charger ports with 150 kilowatts for each port
DeWine announced that the more than $18 million in NEVI funding will be matched by nearly $6 million from the private sector.
This fall, ODOT will issue a second request for proposals to install an additional 16 charging stations along Ohio’s major U.S. and state routes.
Ohio will receive $140 million in NEVI funds over the next five years to support the installation of EV charging stations across the state.