Wisconsin Department of Transportation Discusses Expansion of Public Access to Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Sunday, June 26th, 2022 -- 10:01 AM

(WMTV) The Wisconsin Department of Transportation held a webinar Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss how they plan on expanding public access to electric vehicle charging stations throughout the state.

With the rising trends of electric vehicles, WisDOT wanted to address their new program and how it will expand to provide comfort to those with electric vehicles.

They understood that one of the biggest concerns when it came to switching over to an electric vehicle was the anxiety that drivers won’t be able to get to their destination with one charge and there wasn’t access to any charging stations along their route.

Under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure system, WisDOT estimates they will receive about $78.65 million over the next five year. With these funds, they hope to develop a network of publicly accessible charging stations along Wisconsin’s Alternative Fuel Corridors.

In January of 2022, the launched a statewide transportation electrifications study, then in March established the Wisconsin Electric Vehicle Infrastructure plan development process.

Kaleb Vander Wiele - who is a part of the division of budget strategic initiatives for WisDOT and the project manager for the plan development process discussed the goals set up for this plan and how they’re setting up a plan to do so.

As mentioned previously, the first goal of this program is to be able to expand the amount of electric vehicle charging stations in the state. The second goal is to be able to set up about a half million of these charging stations nationally throughout US Highways.

Charging stations under this programs have to be installed at fifty mile intervals along the highway system and then the charging stations that are installed and funded need to be within one miles of the highways.

The program is specifically created to build out the electric vehicle charging system along specifically placed Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFC). The current AFC system in Wisconsin includes I-90, I-94, I-43, I-41, I-535, US 53 and US 151.

In the most recent nomination process for these AFC, Wisconsin chose parts of US 51, WIS 29, US 2, and US 141, and all of US 8 and US 41. Vander Wiele said that they are looking to have a full complete system of alternative fuel corridors across the state so they system can serve not just the southern 2/3 of the state, but the northern 1/3 as well.

Their overall vision is to be able to create a plan that supports a convenient, affordable, reliable, and equitable statewide and national electric vehicle network specific to Wisconsin’s geography. WisDOT must submit their plan by August 1 of this year to get it approved.

There will be a formal comment period for the public about the plan in July. Visit the WisDOT website for more information on electric vehicles in Wisconsin. Any questions can be directed to their forum.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.