Delaware to become part of electric vehicle corridor
Interstate 95 through Delaware has been designated an electric vehicle charging corridor, part of federal efforts to cut greenhouse gases emitted by cars, trucks and buses.
I-95 joins 48 other federally designated electric vehicle corridors across the United States, where charging stations exist at least every 50 miles, according to a statement from the White House earlier this month.
"This initial designation ... begins a conversation with stakeholders about developing and implementing a vision to enable coast to coast travel using alternative fuels,” said Federal Highway Administrator Gregory Nadeau in a statement.
The Obama Administration envisions a national road network dotted with electric vehicle charging stations, as well as natural gas and hydrogen fueling pumps, to make long hauls easier for drivers in vehicles that are not powered by gasoline or diesel.
Currently, nine charging stations exist in northern Delaware for electric vehicles, including one at the Delaware Welcome Center and Travel Plaza. Federal officials are designing highway signs that will direct drivers to those stations, similar to existing ones for gas, food and motels. They will be installed at a still undetermined time.
"This is logical. We do it for hospitals and food choices and lodging choice," said Doug Hecox, spokesman for the U.S. DOT. "So this is just the latest in that series of navigational aides."
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Nationally, the number of stations increased during President Obama's two terms from approximately 500 in 2008 to more than 16,000 today, according to a statement from the White House. In July, Obama announced that he will allocate $4.5 billion to finance the costs of building more commercial charging stations.
In 2015, the administration pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent or more by 2050. The efforts might be at risk, however, as Obama's successor, President-elect Donald Trump, has expressed doubts about whether global climate is warming.
Additionally, the United States Department of Transportation announced in October that American vehicles burned 71.8 billion gallons of gasoline during the first half of 2016 – the most ever for a 6-month time period.
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control currently offers cash rebates of up to $3,500 to drivers who buy or lease vehicles powered only by electricity.
DART, Delaware's bus agency, won a $2 million grant from the federal government for the purchase of six electric buses, officials announced in July. The money, awarded as part of the Obama administration’s $20 billion program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transit, will help DART purchase buses from Burlingame, California-based Proterra Inc. for approximately $700,000 to $800,000 each.
Contact Karl Baker at kbaker@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2329. Follow him on Twitter @kbaker6.