Gov. Eric Holcomb is joining four other Midwestern governors in forging a new network for charging electric vehicles across a five-state region.
Holcomb and the governors of Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin last week signed a memorandum of understanding to create REV Midwest—the Regional Electric Vehicle Coalition.
“I’m proud to partner with our neighboring states to put the Midwest region on the leading edge of providing the charging infrastructure needed to futureproof our transportation network and meet the demand as rapid adoption of electric vehicles continues,” Holcomb said in a written statement.
A key focus will be to make it easier for drivers to find charging stations for their electric vehicles along key corridors.
The coalition said it also will work to promote clean energy and mobility manufacturing, leverage the states’ automotive industry electrification leadership, grow the region’s share of electric vehicle production, and elevate access to tools required to equip the workforce.
“By working together with our Midwestern neighbor,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a written statement, “we can accelerate the region’s growth in the transportation sector, create jobs across our communities, and prioritize the environment that makes the Great Lakes region so great along the way.”
An estimated 105,000 new utility jobs will be created over the next decade to build the needed electric-vehicle charging infrastructure, according to the federal Quadrennial Energy Review.
Creation of the five-state cooperative comes as Congress considers a $1 trillion infrastructure plan that would provide billions of dollars to states to build an electric-vehicle charging infrastructure.
Holcomb is the only Republican among the five governors who joined the REV coalition. His administration already is working with researchers at Purdue University and other partners to help develop technology that could someday allow electric vehicles to automatically charge simply by driving down specially-outfitted highways.
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I’m all for EV and girlfriend owns a PHEV, but the numbers created by Quadrennial Energy Review are way off. Get out of here.
I’m curious where they are going to get the electricity to power these stations.
In Indiana, given the way our state legislature “works”, this is the type of thing where they’d approve the funding only if the majority of the energy supplied came from coal.
And your suggestion is…, Joe B?
Chip are scarce, 1000 for gas power, 5000 or more for EVs. So do they make their dream come true, or play fair and slow the roll on electric. Gas power will always be needed, but the progressives play cancel culture card.