Ohio's electric vehicle charging network to expand

Ohio can now apply for up to $140.1 million in federal funds to help expand electric vehicle charging along highways throughout the state.

Why it matters: Charging growth is key to helping EVs move from a small — albeit growing — share of the auto market into becoming rivals for gas-powered cars and eventually replacing them.

Driving the news: An initial $615 million will be available to states in fiscal year 2022 as part of the Biden administration's bipartisan infrastructure law, Axios' Ben Geman reports.

• States received guidance on how to apply and a program website launched last week.
• Overall, $5 billion will be allocated to EV-charging infrastructure over five years.

Zoom in: Ohio has 1,850 miles of "pending and ready EV corridors," according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

• Columbus has more than 200 charging spots, 36 free, comparable to other cities its size.
• Ohio as a whole has nearly 1,000. About a fourth are free.

What they're saying: Ohio Department of Transportation spokesperson Matt Bruning tells Axios the department is "still reviewing the information and working on the next steps."

• The state has released two studies on EV policy and recently added charging stations to four state properties.

What's next: Biden's goal is a national network of 500,000 public charging stations by 2030, a huge increase over the current 100,000.

• State applications are due Aug. 1. The federal Joint Office of Energy and Transportation will approve plans by Sept. 30.

Explore the interactive map.