Five Midwest States Plan Build-Out of EV Charging Network

Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin have established a partnership to support the build-out of electric vehicle or EV charging infrastructure across the Midwest region.

[Above photo via Wikimedia Commons]

The goal of this agreement – known as the Regional Electric Vehicle for the Midwest Memorandum of Understanding or REV Midwest MOU – is to “accelerate vehicle electrification” in the Midwest, providing for fleet electrification along key commercial corridors. The MOU also ensures the entire Midwest region can effectively compete for new private investment and federal funding for vehicle electrification.

“By working together with our Midwestern neighbors, we can accelerate the region’s growth in the transportation sector, create jobs across our communities, and prioritize the environment that makes the Great Lakes region so great along the way,” said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (D) in a statement.

Improving access to charging infrastructure and reducing range anxiety will support EV adoption and the next generation of American-made electric automobiles, he added.

Through REV Midwest, those five states said they will work together to remove barriers to electric medium and heavy-duty vehicles and enable EV charging across states by coordinating to optimize charging infrastructure, cooperate on best practices, and support standardization.

“[The] REV Midwest partnership is a bipartisan effort to build the future of mobility and electrification and connect our communities,” said Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D).“Our partnership will enable the Midwest to lead on electric vehicle adoption, reduce carbon emissions, spur innovation, and create good-paying jobs.”

On top of that, the Midwest utility sector needs an estimated 105,000 new jobs to deploy EV charging infrastructure across the region by 2030, she added. As a result, those five state plans address workforce needs in concert with private industry; supporting workforce training programs to build the transportation system of the future.

“The Midwest has the ingenuity and the drive to develop innovative solutions to curb climate change,” said Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D). “I am proud to work with my fellow Midwest governors to not only reduce pollution, but protect public health, create jobs, and increase consumer choice across the region.”

“I’m proud to partner with our neighboring states to put the Midwest region on the leading edge of providing the charging infrastructure needed to futureproof our transportation network and meet the demand as rapid adoption of electric vehicles continues,” echoed Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb (R).

“We shouldn’t have to choose between building a cleaner, more equitable state and economic development—and thankfully, vehicle electrification is an area where we can do both,” said Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers (D).“This regional partnership [is] critical for addressing emissions from the transportation sector, ensuring folks in every community have cleaner air to breathe and creating jobs to meet our future workforce needs.”