Florida Will Create A Master Plan For Electric Vehicle Charging

What if charging an electric vehicle was as quick and easy as filling up with a tank of gas? 

That’s the aim of a new state law, sponsored by Sen. Tom Lee (R-Thonotosassa). It requires the Florida Department of Transportation to come up with a plan to add more electric car charging stations along the state’s highway system. 

There are more than 4,000 such stations in Florida. Advocates, like Stan Cross of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, say there are gaps in how they’re laid out. For electric vehicle owners, that can be a big problem. 

“The goal in the marketplace is to get the EV charging experience more and more similar to sort of the 5-10 minutes you would spend at a gas station to fill up your car,” Cross said.  

FDOT must present its plan by July 1 of next year. Paying for the construction of new chargers is another matter and might pose a challenge to the state as revenue continues to decline due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Copyright 2020 WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7. To see more, visit WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7.