With more electric cars coming, Minnesota officials consider charging network

Thousands of electric cars could soon be rolling on Minnesota's roads, spurring discussions about how to keep them all juiced for long hauls from Austin to Alexandria or Blue Earth to Bemidji.

Still a novelty in the state, electric vehicles are poised at the edge of the mainstream with the coming release of several more affordable models boasting lengthy ranges. Minnesotans could buy a Chevrolet Bolt as of July 1, and the Tesla Model 3 began production this week — a year after dozens lined up at the Eden Prairie dealership to reserve one. Volvo announced Wednesday it would transition to manufacturing only hybrid or electric vehicles beginning in 2019.

"There is a sense that we're sort of on the cusp of exponential growth here," said David Thornton, an assistant commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). The state has fewer than 5,000 plug-in electric cars today, and only about 1,600 of those rely solely on battery power.

Source: With more electric cars coming, Minnesota officials consider charging network