The Arizona Department of Transportation is seeking bids to build more than 20 electric vehicle rapid charging stations along interstate highways.
Officials say it’s the first step in establishing a statewide network of stations and intended to reduce what’s known as “range anxiety” on the part of drivers.
The agency also wants to encourage electric vehicles as a viable alternative to gas-powered cars and trucks.
Under the plan, the stations would be privately owned and operated and more than $76 million in federal funds will cover 80% of the construction costs with the rest privately funded.
The stations will be spaced no more than 50 miles apart and will be able to change an electric vehicle in about a half hour. Proposed sites include Camp Verde and Munds Park off Interstate 17 and Twin Arrows Casino, Seligman and Petrified Forest National Park off Interstate 40.
The stations are scheduled to be operational by the end of 2025.