Need to lead charge

The change is coming and unfortunately Arkansas is already behind. That change is electric vehicles and the charging stations to power them. Every existing auto manufacturer is going electric and new companies are joining the change to electric, so the vehicle is coming, like it or not.

Arkansas’ biggest problem is charging ports. When it comes to places to charge up an electric vehicle, especially fast, Arkansas is at the bottom of the national list again.

So how can we change this? We can put Arkansas near the top of the list and ahead of the curve by passing a requirement in the Legislature. That requirement is simple: Require one fast-charging station for every four new gas pumps at new gas stations being built. They could also require the same rule to stations being remodeled.

Four new stations have been built in my neighborhood recently. There were four opportunities lost to install fast-charging stations for electric vehicles. The charging stations are not cheap, but installing one while a station is being constructed is the best time to put them in. As the number of electric vehicles begins to increase, the owners of the stations will see that installing charging stations from the start was a great move.

So if Arkansas wants to be a national leader on charging stations, the Legislature can easily do this by requiring new gas stations to put in the chargers at the same time. The electric cars are coming; let’s get the state ready to fuel them without worrying where a charging station is.

STEVE HEYE Little Rock