Wisconsin EV chargers; state at risk of losing $78M

MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin Department of Transportation said the state may be at risk of losing more than $78 million slated to build a network of high-speed electric vehicle charging stations if lawmakers don't update an old law on the books. 

The money, awarded as part of the federal bipartisan infrastructure law, is supposed to be used to put in dozens of high speed chargers across the state. However, current state law prohibits the sale of electricity by the kilowatt-hour by anyone other than a public utility.

It's a law that could put all the federal money at risk.

Current electric vehicle drivers say finding high speed electric chargers in Wisconsin can be downright impossible.

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"Madison is the furthest we’ve taken it just because there’s a lack of places to get a fast charge," EV owner Deanna Alba said.

Deanna and Bob Alba of Franklin bought their Ford Mustang Mach-E GT in 2022.

"Really, we wanted to be early adopters of the E-car movement," said Deanna Alba.

The couple has completed something few other EV drivers have done: taken their car across the country and back.

Bob Alba said they "barely" made it both times.

The couple said life on the open road for EV drivers is a challenge with many states lacking high speed chargers, known as level 3 chargers, that can fill up a car's battery in as little as 20 minutes. While there are hundreds of electric chargers across the state, when it comes to the high-speed level 3 chargers that are able to juice up any model EV quickly, there are currently only four locations in Wisconsin.

"We have a huge curve," WisDOT secretary Craig Thompson said.

WisDOT said they have an approved plan that could create "full coverage" for EV drivers, meaning there would be a high-speed electric vehicle charging station within 50 miles of another location on all main routes.

"We’ve come up with 64 locations where we think those can go in," Thompson said. "So we’re ready to go."

The problem is the chargers proposed by the state would be illegal in Wisconsin. 

Under state law, only public utilities, like your energy company, are allowed to sell electricity by the kilowatt-hour. To skirt the law, current rapid charging companies in Wisconsin charge by the amount of time a vehicle is plugged in.

It's a method that Thompson said is inefficient.

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"Think about if you’re putting gas in your car, and they were charging you by the amount of time it took," Thompson said. "That is not a good gauge of how much gasoline is getting in your car or how much electricity is getting into your car."

More importantly, for the state to receive the federal money, the chargers must bill by the kilowatts used, not the time it takes to recharge.

"Right now we’re one of only two states that has not solved this problem yet," Thompson said. "Ourselves and Nebraska. We need to solve this."

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee professor Itziar Lazkano said people want to build charging stations, and people want to own electric vehicles.

"They just need to go together," Lazkano said. 

Lazkano studies energy transitions and has been following this issue closely. She said what's held up changes in Madison so far is there has been a fight over who can run the rapid EV charging stations.

Plans to limit renewable energy companies and public entities like your village or city have sunk past bills.

"I don’t think the issue is that there won’t be charging stations," Lazkano said. "I think the issue will be who owns the charging stations. So who is profiting from this?"

Thompson said lawmakers must solve the issue and allow private entities like gas stations to sell electricity by the kilowatt-hour for electric vehicles or risk falling behind.

"If in Wisconsin we haven’t been able to figure this out and we haven’t deployed these chargers, we are going to lose out to other states that have," Thompson said.

As for the Albas, they'll take any new chargers on the road they can get.

"I don’t think I need to add hope to it," Bob Alba said. "I think it’s going to happen."

"I don’t think we’re going back," Deanna Alba said. "We’re all in." 

Some vehicle owners do have an easier time than others finding a level 3 charging station. For example, Tesla owners have access to a network available almost exclusively to them. Those chargers are supposed to start opening up to other brands of cars in the year ahead.

Several car manufacturers are also pledging to build 30,000 new chargers nationwide, but right now, EV owners say the charging network has a long way to go.