There’s some “electrifying” news from the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) as more drivers make the switch to electric vehicles (EVs).
Maryland was one of the first states to submit its National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) plan to utilize funding from last year’s bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The state filed its NEVI plan July 15, and the Federal Highway Administration approved it September 14.
The pace of electric vehicles registrations is accelerating in Maryland, and the NEVI plan is one piece of MDOT’s multi-faceted approach to expand access to convenient, reliable and equitable EV charging statewide.
As of December 1, Maryland achieved a milestone of more than 60,000 EVs registered in the state, with a total of 60,294. That’s a dramatic increase from the 609 EVs registered just a decade ago in 2012.
During the Hogan Administration, Maryland’s EV registration numbers have increased more than 1000%, from 5,464 in Fiscal Year 2015 to the current 60,294 mark. According to data from the MDOT Maryland Vehicle Administration, the number of EVs registered in the state is now increasing by about 1,500 a month and is expected to grow at an even faster rate in the future.
The increase in registrations corresponds with growth in Maryland’s EV charging network. MDOT is working with other state agencies and partners in the private sector, utilities, and at the local, state and federal government levels to expand EV charging opportunities.
Today, there are 1,188 EV charging stations with 3,398 charging outlets across Maryland. According to a new report in the publication, Governing, Maryland ranks in the Top 10 in the U.S. for access to electric vehicle charging stations. Figures from the software firm, CoPilot, revealed Maryland has 56.4 EV chargers per 100,000 of population.
“We’ve done tremendous work with our public, private and community partners to prepare for the growth we know is coming in electric vehicle use in Maryland,” said MDOT Secretary James F. Ports, Jr. “The foundation we’ve laid is a true collaborative effort and sets the stage to meet EV demand and help advance Maryland’s greenhouse gas reduction goals.”
At the national level, NEVI has a goal to help build out a network of 500,000 chargers across the country by 2030. In its plan, Maryland is poised to use NEVI funds to further advance EV infrastructure.
During a five-year period beginning in Fiscal Year 2023, Maryland will receive about $57.5 million in NEVI funding. These funds will help the state meet its goal to have an EV charging station with at least four fast chargers every 50 miles along key corridors and interstates, and within one mile of these highways. Read more about MDOT’s NEVI plan on our website.
“Maryland has a strategy to utilize NEVI funding for hundreds of EV charging outlets across a network of alternative fuel corridors serving every corner of the state,” said MDOT Deputy Secretary R. Earl Lewis, who chairs Maryland’s Zero Emissions Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Council (ZEEVIC), a collaborative group with members representing state and local agencies, the private sector and other stakeholders. “We’ll continue to work with our private sector, government, non-government partners and ZEEVIC on strategies to deploy thousands of additional charger outlets over the coming decade in an equitable way to meet demand and help lower greenhouse gas emissions.”
Those efforts reflect the commitment of MDOT and the Hogan Administration to advance Maryland toward the future, and achievement of its next ambitious goal on that journey: 300,000 registered EVs by 2025.
For more information on MDOT, go to: mdot.maryland.gov and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.