DeWine builds up electric car charging network

SANDUSKY — Gov. Mike DeWine's decision to build new charging stations for electric cars on major state highways is a useful step forward, says a Sandusky politician and lawyer who was an early electric car adopter. "I applaud the administration for doing that," said Dennis Murray Jr., a Sandusky attorney, a city commissioner and a former state House member. Murray drives a 2014 Tesla Model S electric car. On July 13, DeWine announced that his administration is installing 27 new electric vehicle charging stations along U.S. interstates across Ohio. The state will spend $18 million of National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure to put the charging stations to serve drivers on U.S. 70, U.S. 71, U.S. 74, U.S. 75, U.S. 76, U.S. 77 and U.S. 90. That money is being matched with $6 million from the private companies that will serve as sites for the charging stations. The charging stations will be spaced out so there's one every 50 miles. They are expected to go into operation next year. Ohio was the first state in the U.S. to release a request for proposals for the charging stations, getting Ohio ahead of other states in getting equipment and technicians, DeWine said. This fall, Ohio will release requests for proposals for 16 additional charging stations for U.S. and state highways in Ohio. "This is an exciting time for Ohio as we continue to lead the charge in electric mobility," DeWine said. Murray said that when he drove to Rochester, New York, when his car was new, he had to literally sweat out whether he'd make it. The car's charge got so low he had to turn off air conditioning while making a summer trip. Tesla's charging station network has built up so such trips are less stressful now, but it's important to build up a network of charging stations to serve other electric vehicles, Murray said. If it's impractical to use electric cars, consumers won't buy them, he said. If a battery is nearly dead, charging the car can take about half an hour, Murray said. He said he uses such times to grab lunch or catch up on emails.