Feds offer $140M to create EV charging stations in Ohio
WASHINGTON - The Federal government is investing billions of dollars to build charging stations that could further the Mahoning Valley’s efforts to become a center for electric vehicle manufacturing.
The U.S. Departments of Transportation and Energy announced that nearly $5 billion is available under the newly created National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program to build out a national electric vehicle charging network.
The program will help states create a network of EV charging stations along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors, particularly along interstate highways.
Ohio is eligible to receive up to $140.1 million under the new program for projects directly related to the charging of an electric vehicle and support EV charging infrastructure.
Ohio currently has 1,850 miles of pending and ready EV corridors. With additional discretionary funding available, Ohio will have the opportunity to significantly expand EV chargers throughout the state.
States must submit an EV Infrastructure Deployment Plan before they can access these funds. A second, competitive grant program designed to further increase EV charging access in locations throughout the country, including in rural and underserved communities, will be announced later this year.
“A century ago, America ushered in the modern automotive era; now America must lead the electric vehicle revolution,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help us win the EV race by working with states, labor, and the private sector to deploy a historic nationwide charging network that will make EV charging accessible for more Americans.”
Availability of charging stations are key to the success of a growing number of projects by automakers to switch from gas- or diesel-powered cars and trucks to electric vehicles.
Here in the so-named “Voltage Valley”, General Motors and partner LG Chem are building a nearly 3-million square foot facility in Lordstown that later this year will begin mass-production of Ultium battery cells for electric vehicles and create more than 1,100 new jobs in Northeast Ohio.
Lordstown Mayor Arno Hill announced last month that he has been notified by Ultium Cells that they also plan to build a 120-thousand square foot electric-vehicle battery recycling facility.
A spokesperson for Ultium Cell says the recycling plant will be in collaboration with Li-Cycle, a company they announced a partnership with back in May of 2021.
Li-Cycle is a lithium-ion battery recycling company that works to manage battery manufacturing waste to recycle it into raw materials.
Meanwhile, startup Lordstown Motors continues working to begin production of its all-electric Endurance pickup truck.
Lordstown Motors this week posted a video of employees assembling an Endurance test vehicle that will be used to validate the truck’s electric powertrain.
