Under an amendment added last week to a state request for proposals for new electrical vehicle charging stations receiving federal funds, companies must include a Tesla-compatible plug. According to Reuters News Service, Kentucky is reportedly the first state to make that a requirement. Transportation Secretary Jim Gray said he’s an EV driver who has experienced range anxiety – and he looks forward to more charging stations being built.
“And I’m looking forward to the, every 50 miles, having a station, a fast-charging station, you know, we’re going to have about 38 fast charging stations on all 11 interstates and eight parkways that’s what the plan is.”
With new electric vehicle battery plants planned across Kentucky — including the $1 billion Ascend Elements plant that broke ground last year in Hopkinsville — the Beshear Administration is touting Kentucky as the EV battery production capitol of the nation. Gray said the governor’s been pushing new EV charging stations, too.
“The governor was relentless in calling me and saying Jim, where are we on these fast charging stations. And he was glad to hear that were top 10 in the country.”
Gray said the first new rapid-charging EV stations participating in the federal grant program should be installed by the end of the year.
This story is republished with permission from WEKU. Read the original.
