Blink Charging Co. announced Monday it was awarded a $12.5 million grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to deploy electric vehicle charging stations.
Blink, a leading owner, operator, and provider of EV charging equipment and services, will place fast charges at 25 sites in high-traffic areas along Florida’s major interstate highways. The 52 DC fast chargers will provide access to EV charging for residents and travelers. The project is designed to provide fast charging opportunities across the state’s evacuation routes in the event of natural disasters, strengthening the state’s resilience measures.
“As Miami continues to position itself as a national leader of electric vehicle and renewable energy infrastructure, we are delighted to have companies like Blink here in our backyard building towards a better tomorrow,” said Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.
Blink’s charging sites will be placed in strategic sites along Florida’s four main interstates on Routes 95, 75, 10, and 4. Additionally, 23 of the charging stations will include modular battery storage and solar canopies to further support the strength of the energy grid.
The grants for Blink are part of a $16 million project to develop a network of 32 DC fast charging sites. With a maximum grant award of $500,000 per site, Blink was awarded nearly 80 percent of all the available sites, each of which was individually awarded.
“We are honored to have been awarded the majority of the Florida sites for DC fast charger deployments and to help our home state further bolster its reputation as a leader in EV adoption,” commented Michael D. Farkas, Founder & CEO Blink. “Minimizing barriers to EV charging is critical to increasing consumer adoption of EVs, and with 25 new sites across the state, we are continuing our mission to provide EV charging where and when drivers need it. As the EV market rapidly accelerates, we are continuing to expand our DC fast charging footprint across the nation to provide the fast charging infrastructure required for the electric mobility transformation.”
Each site will deploy two 175kw DC fast chargers. Deployment is anticipated to begin this fall.