First VW Dieselgate Settlement-Funded Fast Charger In North Dakota

by Eva Fox July 18, 2020

Featured image: @Out_of_Spec / Twitter

Ten North Dakota communities have received funding to build fast-charging stations from a settlement against Volkswagen for violating the Clean Air Act.

The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality has allocated $2.7 million to local governments and businesses for clean vehicle projects, including 17 fast-charging stations across the state. New tier 1 charging stations are capable of charging an electric vehicle in 30 minutes.

North Dakota received $8.1 million through the 2016 Volkswagen settlement between the federal government and the auto manufacturer, which admitted that it programmed some of its diesel vehicles to cheat on emissions tests. Now we can observe how the charging infrastructure is developing.

New fast-charging point installed at the Enerbase Travel Center in Minot, ND. It allows around-the-clock vehicle charging.

The first of many fast chargers being installed in North Dakota as part of the Dieselgate settlement with VW is operational at the Enerbase Travel Center in Minot, ND pic.twitter.com/8HYiY4hbgR
— MarcoRP 🔌 (@MontrealTesla) July 17, 2020

Charging at the first and only public DC charging point in North Dakota pic.twitter.com/vAplppHaU0
— Out of Spec Motoring (@Out_of_Spec) July 16, 2020

Other charging stations will be conveniently located throughout the state, and Interstate Corridor 29 in the Red River Valley will be the most concentrated. Their location will be on routes useful for owners of electric vehicles. The department was limited to selecting locations included in the applications and did not accept applications for all parts of the state, said Keith Hinnenkamp, a compliance program manager for Environmental Quality.

Communities plan to charge drivers for the electricity they consume, though it has not yet determined rates. But they do not plan to make money on this, and just look for breakeven.

Meanwhile, a group led by the North Dakota Department of Transportation continues to study electric vehicle infrastructure ahead of the 2021 legislative session. Their work has prompted the North Dakota Public Service Commission to take a closer look at its role in electric vehicles, given that it regulates investor-owned electric utilities.

H/T @SmokeyShorts / Twitter

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About the Author

Eva Fox

Eva Fox joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover breaking news as an automotive journalist. The main topics that she covers are clean energy and electric vehicles. As a journalist, Eva is specialized in Tesla and topics related to the work and development of the company.

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