SALT LAKE CITY — Utah is joining 13 other states, the Department of Energy, and special interest groups to advance the infrastructure for electric vehicles in the United States.
The "Drive Electric USA" group aims to "engage individuals, utilities, legislators, dealerships and others towards removing adoption barriers and accelerating plug-in electric vehicle use in our states," according to the organization's website.
According to Utah Clean Cities, another group involved in the initiative, Utah is already ahead of the curve with its EV infrastructure. The state has more than 50 DC fast-charge stations.
"Utah's focus will be building out rural and state highways. So, we'll be focusing on gateway communities around national parks, and state and scenic byways, so that's really exciting," said Tammie Bostick, Executive Director, Utah Clean Cities.
Drive Electric USA's plans include setting up EV "chapters" in the participating states, educating utilities and regulation officials, engaging in EV infrastructure planning, increasing the adoption of electric vehicle-based fleets, and working dealers to develop preferred dealer programs.
