The Big Sky state of Montana is facing challenges in its electric vehicle (EV) charging network, as reported by Austin Amestoy in a recent episode of The Big Why on Montana Public Radio. Reporter Aaron Bolton interviewed EV owners like Ann Lansing and Caroline Thompson, who shared their experiences and frustrations with the limited charging infrastructure in the state.
Despite the promise of billions of federal dollars to improve the charging network, Montana currently has only around 170 charging locations, with less than a third considered fast chargers. This scarcity of fast chargers poses challenges for EV owners looking to travel long distances across the state.
While the bipartisan infrastructure bill allocated $7.5 billion for building more charging stations, progress has been slow in Montana. State transportation agencies are tasked with implementing the funding, and it could be a couple of years before the first charging stations are up and running along major travel corridors.
The Montana Department of Transportation has plans to place fast chargers every 50 miles along key roadways like I-90, I-94, U.S. 93, I-15, and Highway 2. However, the timeline for completing this infrastructure remains uncertain, leaving potential EV owners like Aaron contemplating waiting until the network improves.
Overall, the podcast episode sheds light on the current state of EV charging in Montana and the challenges faced by residents who are interested in adopting electric vehicles. As the state works towards building a more robust charging network, EV enthusiasts will have to wait patiently for the infrastructure to catch up with their ambitions.
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Photo credit www.mtpr.org
