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Delaware officials are launching a plan that aims to expand the number of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations available along Delaware's most-heavily travelled roadways.

Delaware will receive $18 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), and in three phases, will tighten the range an electric vehicle driver would have to go before recharging a vehicle's battery.

The first phase would include five new stations on Delaware's major thru-travel routes: I-95, DE 1, U.S. 13, and U.S. 113. The initial plan, subject to public input, is to put those at points no further than 50 miles apart at the I-95 Service Plaza, Dover (Routes 1 or 13), Rehoboth Beach (Route 1), Laurel (Route 13), and Selbyville (Route 113).

The next phase would cut gaps to 25 miles by including potential sites of Middletown (Routes 1 and 13), Smyrna (Routes 1 and 13), Harrington (Route 13), Milford (Routes 1 and 113), Bridgeville (Route 13), and Georgetown (Route 113).

The final phase would focus on high-population areas, looking for spots for people who may not have easily-accessible charger stations.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Delaware currently has 118 public electric charging locations with another 10 charging stations that are private.

The public count puts Delaware 41st, with just Idaho, West Virginia, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Alaska having fewer options for drivers of electric vehicles.

Delaware's much-larger neighbors have more EV charging stations. Maryland has 1,247 EV charging stations. Pennsylvania has 1,201 stations, and New Jersey has 754. Rhode Island, the only state smaller than Delaware, has 279 EV charging stations while the District of Columbia has 260.

While DNREC and DelDOT will help select the charging sites, the usage of the new chargers would not necessarily be free.

Delaware's move is part of the National Electrical Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) plan that aims to have 500,000 new EV charging stations available by 2030

Tesla owner Shawn Parker told NBC10 he took a trip south recently and had a few anxious moments.

"I drove down there, about 600 miles, and there was one point in time where I knew if I missed that charging, I would have run out before I got to the next one."

DelDOT spokesman C.R. McLeod said the goal is to make EV drivers feel more confident that they won't get stuck at least in Delaware.

"We are eliminating that angst about 'Where am I going to charge my vehicle?' If I'm traveling through Delaware, or I'm a Delaware resident traveling around, where will there be opportunities to charge?"

In addition to the state-funded sites, some private businesses have also installed their own charging stations, a mix of which are free and owner-paid.

WDEL Sports Director & News/Trafficwatch Reporter. National Sports Media Association's Delaware Sportscaster of the Year (2013).

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