PHOENIX — With the push to get more electric vehicles on the road comes the task of getting more charging stations available to the public.
Arizona is set to get more than $11 million in funding to start and more than $76 million over five years to expand electric vehicle infrastructure through the National Electric Vehicle Funding program.
The funds will be used to build vehicle charging stations, adding to the 868 locations already in use throughout our state, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The locations currently offer a total of 2,232 EVSE ports.
Officials will be concentrating the new infrastructure in rural areas where there is a lack of alternative fuel resources.
Recent data shows a total of 28,770 electric vehicles registered in Arizona.
Meanwhile, the growing trend of electric vehicles is changing travel and the ways cities and towns think about serving their communities.
Last month, ABC15 spoke with Wickenburg's Deputy Town Manager Tim Suan.
In 2014, Wickenburg had four Tesla charging stations. That grew to eight in 2018 and soon even more for different types of EVs. Back in December, the Wickenburg town council unanimously approved five charging stations for the EV company, Rivian.
City officials said one lot was so busy during a recent weekend, there was a wait for drivers to charge their cars.
“You get a whole bunch of traffic, and that equals to people going out to eat, people buying souvenirs and things like that,” said Suan.
