Gov. Beshear, Officials Break Ground on First EV Charging Station

Gov. Beshear, Officials Break Ground on First EV Charging Station in Southeastern US Supported by Federal Program
Four fast chargers coming to Circle K in Richmond; second round of funds announced to expand EV network

RICHMOND, Ky. (KT) – Gov. Andy Beshear was joined by other officials in Richmond on Monday to break ground on the first Electric Vehicle (EV) charging station in the southeastern United States, supported by the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program.
He also announced the state is again seeking proposals to install up to 16 additional stations along Kentucky’s interstates and parkways using NEVI funding. Monday’s groundbreaking begins the first phase of the state’s EV Charging Program, which aims to add up to 40 new fast charging stations by 2025 along Kentucky’s interstates and parkways.

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Administrator Shailen Bhatt and several state and local officials were also on hand for the event at Circle K, just off Interstate 75 in Richmond.
"We are already the EV battery production capital of the United States,” Beshear said. “To make sure Kentucky keeps leading the way, we’re building out our EV infrastructure so our families can charge up as they travel our great state.”

Kentucky will receive nearly $70 million from the federal NEVI Program established through the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).
“Kentucky is a leader in electric vehicle manufacturing, and with this announcement, the Bluegrass State becomes a leader in building out reliable and convenient electric vehicle charging infrastructure,” said Bhatt. “Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s ‘Investing in America’ agenda, we are delivering world-class infrastructure that will help us reach net-zero emissions by 2050 while creating high-quality jobs right here in Kentucky.”

The Circle K charging site will initially offer four ABB E-mobility 180 kilowatt (kW) fast chargers, each ready to recharge a typical EV in under 20 minutes. Initially installed with standard Combined Charging System (CCS) 1 connectors, North American Charging Standard (NACS) connectors will be added later this year – after national standards and UL certification are finalized – to support all types of current and future EV makes and models.

https://www.kentuckytoday.com/news/ground-broken-in-richmond-on-first-ev-charging-station-in-southeastern-u-s/article_44775c9c-cf72-11ee-b4c1-cfa3551b44b8.html#:~:text=RICHMOND%2C%20Ky.,Vehicle%20Infrastructure%20(NEVI)%20Program.