MPCA To Expand Electric Vehicle Charging Network By More Than 2,500 Miles
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) : The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) on Thursday announced that it will fund the installation of over three dozen more electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging stations in Greater Minnesota.
The additional 38 charges will extend the existing (EV) highway corridor network by more than 2,500 miles. Fast chargers can recharge an EV with a 100-mile range in as little as 20 minutes, depending on the car battery.
The charges will be placed 30 to 70 miles apart along seven proposed corridors including:
- From Duluth to Grand Portage State Park on MN-6
- Traveling east-west across northern Minnesota on MN-1 between Ely and Thief River Falls
- From Granite Falls north to Karlstad on US Route 59
- From Saint Cloud to Marshall, Pipestone and beyond on MN-23
“Minnesota has set ambitious goals for powering 20 percent of light-duty cars with electricity by 2030 and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050,” said MPCA Commissioner Laura Bishop. “Funding infrastructure projects like this will help us reach our goals while supporting Minnesota’s green economy and our growing EV market.”
The new $2.6 million grant opportunity leverages funds from the national Volkswagen settlement to build out a network of fast-charging stations so EVs can travel farther across the state. Applicants will be asked to place five to seven fast chargers along specific segments of roadway. A map of Minnesota’s existing and proposed charging corridors is available on the MPCA website. Learn more here.
Source : minnesota
