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The Maryland Department of Transportation recently awarded $12.1 million in federal National Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure program grants.
The program was created to accelerate the deployment of publicly accessible EV chargers and build a reliable and convenient charging network. This is the first round of funding in Maryland and will install 130 fast-charging ports at 23 sites in 15 counties.
“One of the major barriers potential EV owners face is a lack of chargers across the state. With these awards, we are taking a critical step forward in providing more options for Marylanders to travel worry-free,” Paul J. Wiedefeld, Maryland Department of Transportation secretary, said. “Under the Moore-Miller Administration, Maryland is committed to being the greenest state in the country. When it comes to transportation, that means accelerating the transition to electric vehicles alongside other critical investments in transit and mode shift.”
Awardees receive up to 80 percent of the cost of the new EV infrastructure. Recipients have one year to build the new EV charging port and are required to operate and maintain direct current fast chargers. The chargers must be operational 97 percent of the time for at least five years and must be operational by autumn 2025.