New Mexico tries to jump-start electric vehicle infrastructure ahead of new car rule

Jan. 28—Driving through New Mexico's hinterlands is often a journey into a storied past, with travelers seeing rustic landmarks and the same rugged landscape the pioneers encountered.

But drivers now will find new things in the outlying hamlets that signal the future: electric vehicle charging stations.

Few, if any, of the chargers were in rural areas two years ago.

But in 2022, the state Transportation Department began pursuing plans to build charging stations throughout New Mexico, from cities to remote locations, to accommodate electric cars traveling longer distances — and in turn, make people feel more secure about buying the vehicles in the first place.

A perceived lack of places to juice up remains one of consumers' biggest concerns about buying an EV, right in line with worries about the cars being priced higher on average than a gasoline model.

With an increasing amount of state and federal money at their disposal, transportation officials seek to install a network of charging stations by 2026, when a new state rule begins requiring carmakers to deliver more of the vehicles to New Mexico.

"A big question is what comes first: the cars or the infrastructure," said Jerry Valdez, special projects manager for the state Transportation Department. "And you really need to build out the infrastructure for the adoption of the vehicles. We want to make sure we increase the market penetration of zero-emissions vehicles."

Although most owners will charge their vehicles at home for commuting and driving around town, the roadside stations will be essential in supplying power for people traveling longer distances, serving the same basic purpose as gas stations do for internal-combustion cars, EV advocates say.

The lack of charging infrastructure, especially in rural areas, was a common objection car dealers raised during hearings last year on the Advanced Clean Cars and Trucks rule, which both the state and Albuquerque environmental boards voted to adopt.

The rule calls for 43% of new cars and light-duty trucks delivered to New Mexico to be electric models by 2026 and 82% by 2032.

Also, 15% to 20% of new, heavier-duty commercial trucks delivered to the state must be electric by 2026, and 40% to 70% must be zero emissions by 2034, depending on their class.

Putting stations wherever EVs may go

State officials began preparing for this type of EV push well before the legislation.

In 2022, the state made a plan to install 86 charging stations in 40 locations throughout New Mexico, using $10 million in American Rescue Plan money the Legislature had approved for that purpose.

Many of the stations have been installed, and the rest have been assigned to contractors, Valdez said, adding he expects nearly all to be in place and operating by the spring.

Some stations are not far outside cities like Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Las Vegas and Española. But most are scattered across rural communities such as Pecos, Zuni, Tucumcari, Farmington and Elephant Butte.

Valdez said someone asked him why the state would install charging stations in villages like Tierra Amarilla, which are little more than dots on a map. His reply: because they are small and out of the way.

"We want to encourage adoption of electric vehicles in rural New Mexico, as well as making sure that drivers can traverse our state and go through these areas," Valdez said.

Two years ago, New Mexico was awarded $38 million in federal infrastructure money for charging stations, with the payments spread out over five years. The state chipped in $11.9 million in matching funds.

The purpose is to establish "alternative fuel corridors," a term to describe stretches that can supply power to EVs about every 50 miles.

The state aims to create such corridors on three main arterials — Interstates 10, 25 and 40.

Twenty sites have been chosen to hold roughly 75 charging stations covering 1,000 miles, Valdez said, adding work will begin soon to install them.

The stations on the state and federal projects will be a mixture of fast chargers, designed for quicker stops on the freeway, and slower-charging Level 2 models intended for when an EV is parked for longer periods, whether at home, work or a hotel.

This month, the Federal Highway Administration approved an additional $68 million for New Mexico to bolster its charging network. Most of it will go toward building two sites for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles on Interstate 10 near Lordsburg and Vado south of Las Cruces.

Santa Fe County will receive $3.3 million of the grant money to put in 33 fast chargers and Level 2 chargers at 13 sites, including housing complexes and county transportation hubs.

Fast, of course, is relative, at least for those used to filling up at a gas station in a few minutes. Fast chargers can do about 80% of capacity for most light passenger EVs in 20 to 30 minutes. Level 2 requires six to eight hours.

Taos will receive $500,000 to install six publicly available fast chargers at three community sites, including the visitors center.

Meanwhile, officials are requesting a total of $55 million from the Legislature this session to further expand the statewide network.

State's efforts draw support, criticism

An EV advocacy group applauded New Mexico's effort to shore up the infrastructure, saying it will be vital when the clean cars rule accelerates the transition to zero-emission vehicles.

"I think it's a really important time to be making these investments," said Travis Madsen, transportation program director for the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project. "There's a lot of work left to do, but the state is serious about doing it and is investing real money."

The state's request for more infrastructure money is being done in tandem with three Democratic lawmakers sponsoring a tax credit for EV purchases.

Buyers would receive a $3,000 credit on a new car purchase and $1,500 on a used one through 2026. After that, the credit would decrease each year before plateauing at $960 for a new EV and $480 for a used model.

The thinking behind the tax-credit tapering is EVs will move closer to price parity with gasoline cars by the 2030s, reducing the need for the subsidy, Madsen said.

All of the state's investments and policies to boost and accommodate EV use will yield long-term benefits, such as combating climate change and reducing pollutants that will, in turn, reduce health-care costs, Madsen said. EVs also will save consumers money on maintenance, repairs and fuel costs, he added.

But the state's pursuit of electrification also has detractors.

"It's difficult to see this spending as anything more than taxpayers dollars being wasted trying to force a product New Mexicans don't want," said Larry Behrens, Western states director of the pro-oil and gas group Power the Future. "The argument that, 'If you build charging stations, the EVs will come,' is false given that many charging stations around the state regularly sit empty."

At this point, EVs make up less than 1% of the cars New Mexicans own, Behrens said.

He contends a poll his group conducted this month found 59% said they don't support the governor's "forced transition" to EVs.

"No amount of taxpayer dollars wasted by Washington or Santa Fe will change that reality," Behrens said.

A conservation group argues the reverse is true: Demand for EVs far surpasses supply, and the state is trying to correct it.

New Mexico needs more EVs on the sales lots, which the clean cars rule will help deliver, and also a charging network, which the state is cultivating, said Camilla Feibelman, director of the Sierra Club's Rio Grande Chapter.

Feibelman disagrees with car dealers who claim they can't carry more EVs because there's a dearth of charging stations. A state Transportation Department website shows new stations coming on line every day, she said.

"The transition is coming; the question is how fast," Feibelman said.