Arizona is getting $205 million in federal funding for electric vehicle infrastructure projects. The number of electric vehicles in the state has tripled in the last year and a half.
The money will be put towards EV charging infrastructure over the next three years, most of which will be placed alongside highways and in communities without access.
Stephen Naimoli is a public policy analyst for Atlas Public Policy, a research group focusing on transportation and building certification. He says 40% of greenhouse gas emissions in Arizona come from transportation. He says this investment will help lower those emissions.
“By increasing access to electric vehicle charging, we can increase the attractiveness and the ability of people to buy electric vehicles,” Naimoli said
There are more than 4,300 publicly available EV charging ports in Arizona, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Naimoli says over 200 new public charging ports have been proposed so far.