A cross country road trip in an electric car just became closer to reality.
The White House announced on Nov. 3 plans to create a 25,000 mile recharging network for electric cars that will cover 35 states in an effort to decrease the reliance on traditional gasoline running cars and increase the use of more environmentally friendly electric cars.
As part of the announcement, the U.S. Department of Transportation will designate 48 official electric vehicle routes on highways so drivers will be able to find a recharging station every 50 miles.
The federal government will work with states, private businesses and public groups to establish the recharging stations that will enable zero emission mobility from coast-to-coast on highways.
The government has also partnered with 28 states, utilities and vehicle manufacturers like BMW, General Motors, and Nissan to accelerate electric vehicle deployment on the DOT corridors.
The U.S. Department of Energy is also conducting two studies to evaluate the optimal national electric vehicle charging deployment scenarios, including along DOT’s designated fueling corridors. The White House will also convene key stakeholders this month to continue to encourage state and local governments and businesses to build public electric vehicle charging infrastructure along national highways.
Last summer, the White House offered up to $4.5 billion in loan guarantees to support the commercial-scale deployment of innovate electric vehicle charging facilities.
Electric cars have increased dramatically in popularity in recent years as there are currently more than 20 models available as opposed to just one model available eight years ago. In that time battery costs have decreased by 70 percent and the number of electric vehicle charging stations has increased from 500 in 2008 to more than 16,000 in 2016.