Advocates have argued for decades that the primary thing holding back electric cars from displacing gasoline-powered cars is infrastructure. But it’s hard to get governments to invest in infrastructure at the best of times. And these times are…well…you’ve lived them.
So, who benefits most from building out massive networks of EV chargers all over America?
Electric companies. That’s who.
Enter, the Electric Highway Coalition. A consortium of six major electric utilities – American Electric Power, Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, Entergy Corporation, Southern Company, and the Tennessee Valley Authority – plan to build an EV charging network. It will stretch across more than 17 states, from west Texas to the Gulf of Mexico and as far north as Ohio.
The network will consist of DC fast chargers, with locations planned along major highways. Each company involved will select sites in its own territory. The group explains, “Charging stations will provide DC fast chargers that are capable of getting drivers back on the road in approximately 20-30 minutes.”
It’s not clear yet whether the entire network will be available via one seamless app. But we’d be surprised if the companies involved didn’t see the profitable wisdom in that approach.
The electric power industry stands to benefit more than anyone else from drivers buying electricity instead of gas. They seem to have finally seen the logic in making that easy. AEP Chairman Nick Akins noted, “Throughout the ages, travelers have had to figure out how to get from point A to B. From feeding and watering horses to filling gas tanks, and now recharging batteries, ensuring that there are convenient places to accomplish these tasks is critical.”
He’s right. And, just like the petroleum companies built the gas stations, the electric companies are starting to build the charging stations.
