96 New Fast EV Chargers Planned For Washington State

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New fast EV chargers will be installed along Interstate 90 and US routes 97, 195, and 395 in the state of Washington. Almost 100 fast charging ports will be installed at 14 different locations in about two years. Funding will come from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, although President Trump has tried to freeze the funds.

“These projects fill key gaps in the state’s highway EV charging network and will make electric vehicle travel even more convenient. We’re pleased to invest these federal funds with companies that will now build, operate and maintain these charging stations,” said Washington state Secretary of Transportation Julie Meredith. 

Among the five awardees for the new EV chargers, Electric Era is set to receive about $4.2 million and EVgo will receive $650,531. All together, the five awardees will receive about $12 million in funding.

About a year ago, the President tried to put the brakes on Washington’s federal charging funding. “The Trump administration on Thursday told states it was blocking money for electric vehicle chargers, including $71 million for Washington, one of the latest steps by the White House to halt Biden-era funding.” US District Court Judge Tana Lin made a final ruling in January to unfreeze the funding.

The Washington State Dept. of Transportation recently published some information about the new chargers.

These grant awards will deliver:

• • Electric Vehicle charging in 14 Communities.
  • EVSE assets to provide charging across 528 miles of highway.
  • Ninety-six (96) Combined Charging System (CCS) ports for EVSE service.
  • Accelerated and seamless development EV charging along I-90.

Other than the fact there will be 96 new fast chargers, what really jumps out is that they will provide fast charging coverage for 528 miles of highway. When they are operational, that means EV drivers will have an easier time when they drive over long distances. Washington State is wider than it is vertical and the width is 360 miles for some context.

Another fact that jumps out and may not be appreciated by many is that it doesn’t take so much to fill in areas with fast chargers to support EV drivers. If 96 fast chargers can be installed in just two years to cover over 500 miles of highway, this is a great success.