MODERNIZATION
EXTENDING THE RANGE FOR EV TRAVEL
DOOR COUNTY, WISCONSIN, UNITED STATES
Photo: Destination Door County
When you take your electric vehicle (EV) on a road trip skip the charging stations at large corporations or big retailers. While enjoying local products and services in Door County, Wisconsin, you can plug your EV into their charging stations, often for free or a donation.
What's
changing
In 2023, dealers in the United States sold 1.2 million EVs. As EVs become more common, we need more places to charge them, especially to support extended travel, like vacation road trips.
What's already
possible
In Door County the destination management organization provides businesses with grants to install EV charging stations on their properties. Destination Door County has a strategic plan that calls for sustainable developments like this.
Seizing
the opportunity
Door County started installing EV chargers in 2014 with the first stations at the visitors’ center. Despite incentives and programs encouraging the development of charging infrastructure, the number of stations did not increase sufficiently. Enter the grant program. Door County’s EV grants, established in 2023, allow any business, non-profit organization or government agency to apply for funding up to 1,000 U.S. dollars for installing or upgrading EV charging stations. Businesses can apply online, and recipients need to purchase a publicly accessible charging station within 90 days.
Standout
tactic
Destination Door County provides an online directory of EV chargers, which points travelers to local businesses and gives information on the types of chargers available and the cost. Some businesses, like the Ashebrooke Hotel, offer chargers that are free for guests and available for non-guests with a donation to “The Angel Fund” at Gibraltar School.
How
it helps
Door County now has more than 70 charging stations and is fueling greater interest. In 2023, the program issued nine grants; in the second quarter, the application quota was filled within only three days. In 2024, Door County has budgeted to issue 15 grants, two of which are already assigned.
Diving
deeper
How can this kind of program ensure that the demand for electricity at an increasing number of EV charging stations does not drive increased reliance on coal or other fossil fuels to provide the charges, considering many power companies still depend on these non-renewable energy sources?
Increasing
impact
Providing incentives for businesses that adopt sustainable practices in addition to EV charging stations, such as installing solar panels or implementing energy-efficient upgrades, could accelerate our progress toward a more sustainable future.
Traveling
better
Travel is inherently carbon intensive. Whether you are taking a mini-break or an annual vacation, consider ways to minimize your impact by staying longer in one place, reconsidering how you travel to the destination, and supporting businesses that are working to make their community and the world a better place.
