Texas unveils plan to install hundreds of EV charging stations across the state

The multi-year project in Texas aims to support up to 1M electric cars

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has rolled out a draft plan to install more than 200 electric vehicle charging stations across the state as part of a multi-year project to bolster infrastructure for current and future EV drivers.

EV charging station

An Electric Vehicle charging station lights up green in the parking lot of a Ralph's supermarket in Monterey Park, California on May 18, 2021.  (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

The Texas Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan unveiled by TxDOT earlier this month was driven by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law by President Biden in November, which created funding programs for EV charging infrastructure for states. 

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According to TxDOT, 80% of funding for the program will be covered by the federal government, with Texas receiving $407.8 million from the Federal Highway Administration over the next five years. The remaining 20% will be covered by third parties, and no state funds will be used for the project, the agency said.

Charging station for electric vehicles at Park West and Mobility Works in Washington

The charging station for electric vehicles at Park West and Mobility Works. (FOX Business / Fox News)

Under Texas' plan, 237 new EV charging stations will be installed, first prioritizing interstate highways determined to be Electric Alternative Fuel Corridors with stations placed every 50 miles in accordance with federal guidelines. 

EV charging stations in rural areas will be spaced out further, by roughly 70 miles apart.

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TxDOT reported that less than 1% of the vehicles currently registered in Texas are electric, but noted that "since 2020, the total number of electric vehicles in Texas has nearly tripled as more people adopt the technology."

Ford F-150 Lightning

Ford F-150 Lightning pickup trucks are shown at the Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center on April 26, 2022 in Dearborn, Michigan. The F-150 Lightning is positioned to be the first full-size all-electric pickup truck to go on sale in the mainstream U.S. (Getty Images)

The plan aims to support the charging needs of 1 million electric cars upon completion. There are currently 129,000 EVs registered in Texas.

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"With rapidly growing adoption rates, it is necessary to ensure Texas will be able to meet the demand of these new vehicles on the road," the report states.