The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency announced Thursday it will fund the installation of up to 38 additional fast charging stations in greater Minnesota, extending the electric vehicle highway corridor by 2,500 miles.
The chargers will be placed 30 to 70 miles apart along seven proposed corridors including from Duluth to Grand Portage State Park on Minnesota Highway 61, along Minnesota Highway 1 between Ely and Thief River Falls, from Granite Falls to Karlstad on U.S. Route 59 and along Minnesota Highway 23 from St. Cloud to Marshall.
“Minnesota has set ambitious goals for powering 20% of light-duty cars with electricity by 2030 and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050,” said MPCA Commissioner Laura Bishop. “Funding infrastructure projects like this will help us reach our goals while supporting Minnesota’s green economy and our growing EV market.”
The fast charges can fully recharge an EV with a 100-mile range in as little as 20 minutes, depending on the car battery.
The new $2.6 million grant opportunity uses funds from the national Volkswagen settlement to build out a network of fast charging stations so EVs can travel farther across the state. Applications for grant funds are due by Nov. 25 and information about the MPCA’s grants can be found at on the agency’s website.