Beefed up charging: New EV charger network powers Hoosier travelers

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Posted on Feb 04 2024 in A Co-op Perspective, Carroll White REMC, Fulton County REMC, Heartland REMC, Jasper County REMC, Jay County REMC, Kankakee Valley REMC, Kosciusko REMC, LaGrange County REMC, Marshall County REMC, Miami-Cass REMC, Newton County REMC, Noble REMC, Steuben County REMC, Tipmont
The Beef House in Covington
The Beef House in Covington hosts one of the more than 50 new direct current fast charger stations under construction along major Indiana highways and thoroughfares.

Electric vehicle drivers eating at the Beef House Restaurant in Covington can now fill up their automobiles at the same time.

The electric vehicle charger installed at the Beef House is one of over 50 high-speed direct current fast charger stations in a new statewide network created by GO Electric Vehicle Indiana (GOEVIN). The collaboration consists of electric utilities in Indiana, including Wabash Valley Power Alliance (WVPA) and its member cooperatives, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, and Drive Clean Indiana. The group is installing high-speed chargers near major transportation corridors throughout the state.

“Range anxiety is still causing some people to be hesitant to purchase an electric vehicle,” said Joan Soller, director of grid innovation and portfolio integration for WVPA. “This program will fill a huge need in electric vehicle infrastructure.”

The statewide program received more than $6 million from the Indiana Volkswagen Mitigation Settlement for the new chargers. According to the IDEM website, the funding came from the $2.9 billion Environmental Mitigation Trust as part of the Volkswagen Corp.’s settlement with the U.S. Justice Department. Funding from the trust is to offset the excess air pollution emitted by Volkswagen vehicles that violated the Clean Air Act, IDEM reported.

The utilities in the GOEVIN collaboration are funding the remaining balance for the charging stations. EV owners will pay a fee to charge their vehicles at the stations.

“One of the greatest things about the GOEVIN initiative is that it’s truly a collaboration,” said Shawn Seals, senior environmental manager for IDEM. “We are somewhat the envy of the Midwest in that we have a genuine collaborative of utility groups working on EV infrastructure across the state.”

Each charging station, which can charge two vehicles simultaneously, was installed within about one mile of a major highway or thoroughfare. In addition to the Beef House, three other chargers are installed in locations served by WVPA member cooperatives: Fair Oaks Farms in Jasper County, served by Jasper County REMC; JJ’s Travel Plaza in Peru, served by Miami-Cass REMC; and Meijer in Whitestown, served by Boone REMC.

“We’re all pioneers. This is the opportunity for us to learn together,” said Carl Lisek, executive director of Drive Clean Indiana. “This gives Hoosiers a choice to travel from northern Indiana to southern Indiana with collaboration on a branded program that people will be able to identify.”

Joan Soller, WVPA, and Bonnie Wright, Beef House, with EV charger.
Joan Soller, director of risk management and regulatory affairs at Wabash Valley Power Alliance, left, with Beef House Restaurant co-owner Bonnie Wright at the new electric vehicle charger.