U.S. and Canadian government officials unveiled what they termed the first binational electric-vehicle corridor featuring fast battery chargers about every 50 miles.
The nearly 900-mile planned route will be between Kalamazoo, Mich. and Quebec City, “tapping into the 75,000+ miles of Alternative Fuel Corridors” in the U.S., the U.S. Department of Transportation said in a statement.
Insufficient EV charging infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, is often cited as a major reason many Americans are hesitant to switch from gas-powered vehicles, colloquially referred to as “range anxiety.”
The Biden administration has made EV adoption a priority in an effort to fight climate change, as well as North American EV and EV material production in order to free the U.S. from dependence on Chinese suppliers.
Last fall at the Detroit auto show, Biden announced $900 million for EV charging stations in 35 states, and in February said Tesla will open its charging network to owners of non-Tesla models. Tesla’s network is currently the largest in the U.S.
“With historic investments in EV infrastructure from the Biden-Harris Administration and the Canadian government, we are creating a new generation of good-paying manufacturing jobs, making it possible for drivers everywhere to reap the benefits and savings of these vehicles while helping us fight climate change,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Specific charger station construction plans weren’t laid out at the unveiling this week.
DIG DEEPER: Non-Tesla EV Owners to Use Its Chargers
