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Back in 2016, the then Governor of Nevada held a dedication ceremony when they opened the first state-sponsored charging station for electric vehicles. In this dedication, the former Governor, Brian Sandoval, demonstrated how one can use the charging station to charge their vehicle, such as the electric Ford Focus. He called the endeavor, “the first electric highway in the United States,” as the station was set up alongside Highway 95. Sandoval expressed how this marked Nevada as a forward thinking state that is focused on bettering the electric vehicle market.

However, because of a lack of a charging network, the car was shuttled from Las Vegas to the station 100 miles away for the ceremony.

Since this ceremony was held, electric vehicle usage in Nevada has only grown. However, the charging network in the state has not grown on the same level. Nevada is home to around 2,150 of the nation’s charging ports, spread out around 600 stations. This ratio breaks down to around one charger for every 73 vehicles. While this may seem reasonable, this is one of the lowest numbers in the country and poses a large challenge for drivers of these vehicles.

The issue lies in the fact that charging does not happen as quickly as refueling a vehicle at a gas station.

Depending on the vehicle and it’s condition, it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 12 hours to fully charge a vehicle. When there are not sufficient charging ports around the state and people have to wait hours to get a charge, it is considered a shortage. Because of these numbers, Nevada comes in with one of the lowest numbers of charging stations.

Nevada is finally starting to get back on track.

Plans are in the works to build up and expand the charging network in Nevada. Analysts are discussing expanding the charging network into more rural areas, as the lack of chargers makes it impossible to drive across the state for many. The push for this expansion comes after a bill was passed in the Nevada state offices that included a $100 million investment into charging stations. Originally, the project was supposed to complete this year; however, it has been extended with an indefinite date of completion.