North Carolina set to expand electric vehicle charging network

North Carolina is investing nearly $7 million in the expansion of electric vehicle charging stations across the state.

The funding was announced by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality, or DAQ, this week. It's the second phase of a project aimed at filling gaps in charging locations along major corridors and coastal evacuation routes.

According to a news release, DAQ will install new DC Fast chargers at 40 sites around the state. Most of the locations will be in rural areas, although there will be a station added in Winston-Salem.

There are also plans to upgrade 13 existing sites, including a station in Boone.

Money for the project comes from the North Carolina Volkswagen Settlement Program, which uses funding from a national agreement with the automaker following accusations the company used computer equipment to cheat on federal emissions tests.

Zach Pierce is a senior advisor to Governor Roy Cooper who focuses on climate change and clean energy policy. Pierce says that the experience for electric vehicle drivers in North Carolina is going to change dramatically in the coming years.

"We're seeing manufacturers committing to getting these vehicles on the roads and public and private sources are investing in the charging infrastructure to make that experience more seamless," says Pierce. 

Officials believe the expansion will alleviate range anxiety among electric vehicle users, while further decreasing emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants.