Kaine and Warner announce funding for new electric vehicle charging stations in Virginia

NORFOLK, Va. – Nearly $11 million from the federal government will be donated to the Virginia Department of Energy to install 392 electric vehicle chargers across the state.

US Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner from Virginia made the announcement on Monday.

“I definitely think it’s going to create excitement across the state,” Joel Morales said.

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Morales is the new vehicle sales manager for Banister Nissan in Norfolk.

He believes more chargers could help encourage people to buy an electric vehicle.

“Some of the hesitancy that comes with selling electric vehicles comes from asking, ‘Where can I find another charging station?'” Morales explained.

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Tourism is also a driving factor in the push for more chargers.

According to a press release from Kaine and Warner, the new charging stations will be installed in “urban and rural tourism destinations.”

That could be important for places like Norfolk and Virginia Beach, where tourism makes up a large part of the economy.

As News 3 reported in September 2024, tourism spending in Norfolk was $1.4 billion in 2022 and $33.3 billion statewide in 2022.

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You can find a lot of information online about “EV tourism” – the idea that electric vehicle charging stations are a tourist magnet.

In fact, the National Park Service has an interactive map that shows where all the charging stations are located in national parks.

The City of Norfolk also has a map of charging stations around the city.

“I find that most cars take about 30 to 45 minutes to charge. So if I were in charge of planning, I would put these wherever someone normally spends so much time. So supermarkets, maybe golf courses,” he said.

In 2024, News 3 told you about a survey the city of Norfolk conducted to get feedback from the public on, among other things, where charging stations should be.

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Warner and Kaine said the new charging stations will create healthier communities for future generations.

The exact location of the electric vehicle charging stations was not announced on Monday.