Meeting summary: Maine gets just over $21M from the VW settlement and elected to use the maximum allowed 15% for EV charging infrastructure. The lion’s share will be managed by the DOT to reduce NOX emissions by replacing or upgrading engines—buses, trucks, generators, boat diesels, etc. Efficiency Maine, known for promoting insulation, efficient lighting, and heat pumps is charged with meting out the $3.1M for EV infrastructure. They have identified routes which are critical to travel into and out of the state. Phase 1 will fund DC fast chargers along several important travel corridors, starting with I95. The first project includes piggybacking on the Tesla SC construction in Kennebunk highway rest areas. The other initial corridors include a path from Quebec to the beaches and along the coast at least as far as MDI (Acadia National Park). The plan is to fund several pivotal locations first, then hold a second round of funding to stretch out and fill in, awarding those proposals with the most host support. A third round of funding will start next year and spend the last few hundred thousand dollars on Level 2 EVSE.
Basically, DC first, AC second, starting now and done in 2020.
Mainers want trucks and all-wheel drive, but that’s not really news.
I also got to see the now discontinued Ford Focus Electric in person, with just over 100 mile range which has proven to be a superb commuter car for its owners. Perfectly reasonable regular car that runs on batteries. Too bad there won’t be many more of them.
