HARTFORD, Conn. — The Connecticut Department of Transportation is currently surveying drivers about the use of electric vehicles and charging stations in the state.
The survey precedes future projects that will expand the network of electric vehicles in Connecticut.
It's a part of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program, which was passed by congress in 2021 as part of a bipartisan infrastructure bill. NEVI provides states like Connecticut with funding to award grants to private, public and nonprofit entities to build, own, maintain and operate fast electric vehicle charges along highways, according to the CTDOT website.
The program will provide the state with $52 million over five years to expand its network of EV chargers.
The survey currently being conducted by the Connecticut Department of Transportation will help them decide how to move forward with those projects.
“It's helping guide us really, where the future of EV chargers are located in Connecticut,” said Josh Morgan, communications director for CTDOT.
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“If you're currently driving an electric vehicle, where do you want to see chargers or you know, what would be helpful for you, a person who's driving an EV and if you're not driving EV, we want to know, what are some of your concerns,” said Morgan.
Earlier this year, state lawmakers proposed new emission requirements that would ban the sale of new gas and diesel-powered cars by 2035, making way for more electric or hybrid cars on Connecticut roads. The proposal was met with opposition and lawmakers chose not to focus on the bill this session.
That aside, the popularity of fully electric or hybrid plug-in vehicles is growing and the CTDOT wants the state to be prepared.
“What we hear and what studies have shown is that people may not be willing to invest in an electric vehicle because of what's called range anxiety, am I going to be able to go from point A to point B, and there'll be convenient fast charging on that route,” asked Morgan.
Federal transportation officials hope these investments nationwide will calm that anxiety.
To learn more about NEVI’s impact here in Connecticut or to take the survey, click here.
Jake Garcia is a multimedia journalist for FOX61 News. He can be reached at jgarcia@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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