Maine just got a new Tesla Supercharger station as part of the federally funded National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, in what Electrek reports is the first time the state has built one through the program.Â
The Supercharger station is located at a shopping center in Rockland, and the installation is also in part thanks to a statewide initiative called Recharge Maine. The state has been working to build a network of high-speed electric vehicle chargers available to the general public.Â
This EV project stands out because it features eight Tesla Supercharger ports for EVs, with the bipartisan infrastructure program funding five of them — each of which will have CCS compatibility, making them open to non-Tesla EVs.Â
"This funding will help expand our state's EV charging network, reducing range anxiety for EV users who live, work, and travel in Maine," said Maine Department of Transportation Commissioner Bruce Van Note, per Drive Electric.
Range anxiety concerns are finally becoming a thing of the past as Tesla introduces long-range models that can last for a week without charging and as access to fast chargers becomes more available.
The new federal EV program requires charging stations to be placed every 50 miles and within a mile of the Alternative Fuel Corridor. The program also requires stations to be able to charge multiple EVs at once, have 24-hour access, and offer amenities like food and restrooms.
With these attractive consumer incentives, electric vehicles are now more practical for drivers who care about sustainability and the environment. In Maine and other places across the U.S., it's becoming increasingly affordable and convenient to make your next car an EV.
The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program is underway in all 50 states, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico, to bring cleaner, greener energy to our roadways. Stations funded by the program already exist in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Hawai'i.
"Maine's efforts are an excellent example of how states can work to advance equity by creating access to lower-cost electrified transportation that also reduces emissions in disproportionately impacted urban communities," said Gabe Klein, director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. "Together, we're creating a national charging network that serves — and benefits — all Americans in their own backyards."
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