EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Federal Highway Administration announced that it will help build charging stations across major state highways, including I-10 in El Paso.
ECO El Paso and El Paso Electric state that this is a step in the right direction to get more electric vehicles on the road.
With the promise of more EV chargers in the Borderland and across Texas, ECO El Paso Secretary Joshua Simmons says those who were hesitant about purchasing an electric vehicle or who may already own one can feel comfortable knowing there are more options to come in terms of charging.
“They’re kinda only aware that they can charge at home or at certain locations and seeing that more variety of it and availability that people will be more comfortable and definitely encourage them to take that adoption,” Simmons said.
If you do switch to an electric vehicle, El Paso Electric does have a program which can allow customers to save money on their electric bill. Supervisor of Electrification at El Paso Electric Angie Rodriguez say they have seen more participants in the program with people understanding electric cars more and their benefits.
“You can save on fuel. You can save on maintenance. These vehicles also have zero tailpipe emissions so they’re environmentally friendly of course the convenience of charging from home,” Rodriguez said.
If you are a person that likes road trips, the new stations that are planned can put them at ease without having to worry about where the closest charging station is going to be.
“All the models have over 200 miles range so you no longer have that range anxiety and like you said with availability of EV charging stations that is continuously improving more and more customers will be willing to switch,” Rodriguez said.
According to Simmons, El Paso is 12th in the nation with the worst air quality, which beats out major cities like Chicago, New York and Houston. However, even with the more chargers becoming available, it will have to be a group effort before more electric cars are on the road.
“Just in general the infrastructure if the city and the electric utility and homeowners all opt for renewable means of energy generation will make it more attractive for people to commute,” Simmons said.
If you would like to know more about Eco El Paso, you can find them on their website. El Paso Electric also has several tools for customers to use, EPE’s EV shopping tool and joining EV Community.
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