Need a Charge? Texas has an Interesting Plan for Electric Cars and Charging Stations

This doesn't seem like an issue we have at the moment but with gas prices where they are, and the popularity of electric cars continuing to grow, pretty soon more and more people will need to charge those electric cars. The state of Texas has drafted a plan.

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Quick question, do you drive an electric car? If so, where do you charge it? I have yet to see a charging station in Temple, Belton or Killeen.

Gas Prices in Texas

Although gas prices are inching their way down slowly but surely, they're still much higher than what we are used to paying, and everybody is feeling it. Plus, we've seen this before recently when gas started to trend down then all of a sudden, skyrocketed back up. Gas prices continue to see saw back and forth it makes it hard to budget properly.

I know this may sound taboo here in Texas but I've heard some say that electric cars are in their future but there is still one major concern, re-charging.

Electric Cars

According to the Texas Tribune, and reported by FOX San Antonio, as of the end of May, there were only 129,010 electric vehicles on the roads in Texas. That's less than 1% of all registered vehicles in Texas. As The lone star state continues to grow, so will the number of those driving electric vehicles.

The Texas Department of Transportation laid out a five-year plan earlier this month to accommodate the rise of electric cars and the need to keep them charged.

The Plan

The plan laid out is that ultimately Texas will build charging stations 50 miles apart along all main corridors, highways and rural areas. Other parts of the state will see stations every 70 miles. The stations will be equipped with 150kW chargers with the ability to charge a vehicle from 10% to 80% in about an hour.

The funding will be provided by the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that passed last year and TxDOT will have to submit a finale plan by Aug. 1 to the Federal Highway Administration. It's expected that contracts for construction will be awarded starting in January.