The number of electric vehicle registrations in Illinois has skyrocketed by about 1,400% since late 2017, yet the number of places to charge those EVs has grown by only about 600%, Capitol News Illinois reported, based on government data.
Luckily, state-funded grant programs for chargers are kicking in through Illinois' Climate and Equitable Jobs Act of 2021. The first new station under the program opened for business in Joliet in November, and with the help of millions of dollars in state grants and funding, hundreds more will soon sweep the state, per the news outlet.
More chargers along the roads make driving an EV way easier, which means more people will be able to make the electric switch — with further help provided by related tax breaks for EV purchases.
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Illinois has a goal to support 1 million EVs on the roads by 2030, up from the roughly 120,000 that are currently active, per CNI. Investing in better charging infrastructure is a major step toward getting on track to meet that target.
Plus, more EVs on the roads means less harmful pollution escaping from vehicle tailpipes, giving the planet a hand in staying cool.
More state funding is expected to be awarded soon, and the web of available charging ports around the region will continue to grow. Those involved in the plans aim to see EV registration rise as a result.
"Reducing air pollution from transportation is vital to a healthy future for our children and our planet," Gov. JB Pritzker said in a news release, per CNI. "Today, you see the product of that vision in the first deployment of a CEJA-funded electric vehicle charging port."
Pritzker also noted that there would be an option to charge every 50 miles on Illinois highways, setting a real example for other state governments.
"We're going to install these chargers all over, in every community," said Rep. Marcus Evans, CEJA chief sponsor, per CNI. "So that when you're driving your electric car, you ain't gotta get it towed."
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