NAGS HEAD, N.C. — The Tar Heel State has shifted into high gear when it comes to electric vehicles.
Gov. Roy Cooper announced last week that there are now more than 85,000 registered electric vehicles in the state, already exceeding a 2025 goal.
State leaders are now working to make sure infrastructure catches up, as consumers remained concerned about “range anxiety.”
Northeastern North Carolina
North Carolina rolls out plans for electric vehicle fast charging network
The head of the National Automobile Dealers Association said infrastructure remains one of the biggest challenges for the EV industry.
But Walter Daniels, who frequently travels between Durham and Manteo in his Ford F-150 Lightning pickup, is less concerned.
He frequently charges the pickup at home, but he said access to chargers on the Outer Banks and between the Outer Banks and the Research Triangle region is quickly improving.
That includes a new charger on U.S. 64 in Columbia, which is funded in part by money from the Volkswagen emissions settlement.
"For a lot of people that's the last stop before they get to the Outer Banks, and if they use up a little charge while they're running around here, to get a boost to head back wherever they're going,” Daniels said.
News 3 reported earlier this year that the North Carolina Department of Transportation plans to use money from the federal infrastructure law to roll out chargers statewide, including in the U.S. 17 corridor through South Mills and Elizabeth City.
While the first phase is focused on long-distance travelers, phase two of the program is focused within communities to meet day-to-day needs.
Watch previous coverage: North Carolina rolls out plans for electric vehicle fast charging network
“That you could use it very similarly to a gas station,” NCDOT’s Heather Hildebrandt told News 3 in January. "So it will allow those who could not consider an electric vehicle previously to consider that transition to an electric vehicle."
Some communities are moving forward with their own efforts. The Town of Nags Head plans to add chargers at Town Hall and its new public services complex.
The town worked with a team from the Duke Nicholas School of the Environment to come up with a comprehensive action plan for electric vehicles.
Private companies are also expanding charging access. A bank of Tesla Superchargers recently opened at the Outer Banks Mall.
Tesla is also opening up its charging networks to drivers to other brands, and companies like Ford are making converters available.
Daniels said he went electric because of the technology and to help the environment. He said the investments would help others feel more comfortable.
“If we don’t support new technologies, they won’t come to bear in the marketplace,” he said. “So somewhere along the line people have to buy them to have them.”
