Rural Interests
Expanding the benefits of electric transportation beyond Arizona's urban centers and helping ensure rural communities are part of the state's clean transportation future.
Electric Vehicles in Rural Arizona
For those living in rural areas of the United States, owning an electric vehicle poses some challenges, but also presents some unique benefits and opportunities. The biggest challenge is the limited availability of EV charging infrastructure outside the cities and beyond the Interstate highways. The biggest benefit is the substantial cost savings per mile when you drive on electrons rather than gasoline.
On the “benefits” side, rural owners of EVs stand to save thousands of dollars a year on transportation costs. Rural dwellers tend to drive more miles per year than their urban counterparts for the simple fact that everything is farther away. Fortunately, with an electric vehicle the more you drive, the more you save. Besides having fewer maintenance costs, electric motors are far more efficient than gas engines and the cost per mile for electricity is far less than the cost per mile for liquid fuels.
For example, if you charge your EV at home with standard grid electricity from APS or SRP, you can normally travel 300 miles in an electric SUV for about $10-$15. Those living in rural areas who are considering buying an electric vehicle should check out this interesting article from CleanTechnica.
On the “challenge” side, it is not uncommon for those of us who live off the beaten track in rural Arizona to have to drive 100 miles one-way for groceries or a Home Depot. Round-trip shopping excursions with multiple stops on a hot summer day can tax the range limit of many affordable EVs. Increasing EV range with improved batteries and building out EV charging infrastructure are two key means for solving this challenge.
Why Rural EV Access Matters
Arizona's transportation future extends far beyond Phoenix and Tucson. Rural drivers face different distances, infrastructure needs, and transportation realities.
Charging Access
Expanding reliable fast charging along rural highways helps make electric travel practical between communities and across Arizona.
Longer Distances
Rural households often travel farther for work, shopping, health care, education, and essential services, making dependable transportation especially important.
Community Opportunity
Rural charging investments can support residents, travelers, businesses, tourism, and communities located along Arizona's highways.
Expanding Rural Charging Infrastructure
The federal government and the State of Arizona are working together to expand EV charging infrastructure through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure, or NEVI, program.
Early planning focused heavily on the Interstate Highway system. Arizona's newer deployment plans increasingly extend charging to U.S. and state highways that serve rural communities.
Continued expansion along these corridors can significantly improve charging access for rural residents and make electric travel between Arizona communities easier and more dependable.
The Roads of Rural Arizona
Electric transportation must work wherever Arizonans live and travel — including the long highways and remote roads connecting our rural communities.
Images courtesy of Paul Hirt, representing various rural roads in Cochise County, Arizona.
Bridging Arizona's Urban/Rural Divide
DRIVE Electric Arizona works with federal, state, and local governments along with business and community leaders to promote accelerated rural charging infrastructure development to help bridge the urban/rural divide. Everyone, regardless of where they live, deserves access to a clean transportation future.