America's Heartland is leading the way to a healthier tomorrow after opening the first federally-backed charging station for electric vehicles.
According to Green Car Reports' Stephen Edelstein, the station went online on Dec. 8 at a Pilot Travel Center near Columbus, Ohio, and is outfitted with fast chargers funded by the Biden administration's National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program.
"Electric vehicles are the future of transportation, and we want drivers in Ohio to have access to this technology today," Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said in a press release.
Ohio was reportedly the first state to submit its NEVI proposals, but Vermont, Pennsylvania, and Maine have also begun building stations with federally allocated money.
After the White House said it anticipated more updates "in the coming weeks," per Green Car Reports, New York soon followed with the opening of its own federally backed charging station.
EVs have been growing in popularity, saving consumers money on gas and maintenance in the long run. Because the vehicles don't release planet-warming carbon pollution from their tailpipes, they are better for our respiratory systems, as well as the environment.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that "transportation-related pollutants are one of the largest contributors to unhealthy air quality," which has been linked to asthma, a potentially increased risk of postpartum depression, and premature deaths.
Making a wide-scale transition to EVs requires further development of the charging station infrastructure, however. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates the United States will require 28 million charging ports by 2030.
"In just the past few years, we have seen historic investments into national EV infrastructure," Eric Wood, an NREL senior EV charging infrastructure researcher, said in a report published by the organization.
"At the same time, the study reinforces the notion that we're going to need to continue to work together — both public and private entities — to build the national network that we'll need for 2030 and beyond," he added.
Ohio has another "two dozen" NEVI-funded charging stations in the works, according to Green Car Reports. It will focus on interstate support as the first step in a five-year plan and will fill in "infrastructure gaps" in the latter phases.
"Every state across the nation, D.C., and Puerto Rico, will soon follow — building out a convenient, reliable, made-in-America charging network, boosting the economy by creating good-paying jobs and reducing costs for families across the country," U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said in a press release.
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