State unveils vehicle charging station at Alamance rest area

The state Department of Transportation held a ribbon-cutting at a rest area on Interstate 40/85 near Burlington. Another charging station will be located near Benson at the junction of Interstates 95 and 40.

Those locations were chosen because they are routes heavily trafficked by commuters.

Electric car owner Jack Martin said he’s looking forward to expanded charging options.

"To be at places like this, at institutions, at hospitals, at malls, at restaurants, where you'll plug in, and then you go and do something else, and it's recharged," Martin said.

DOT spokesman Jimmy Parrish said getting the infrastructure in place to serve electric car owners is a high priority for the agency.

"There are gas stations at every interchange on the interstate, and people feel good about that because they can stop and buy gas. Well, charging stations aren't out there like that yet, but we are trying to take strides in making that available to the traveling public," Parrish said.

Raleigh-based Praxis Technologies Inc. received $247,000 in state and federal money to install 19 stations around North Carolina.

The DOT is also looking into better technology to quicken charging time. Charge stations currently require about 30 minutes of plug-in time per 15 miles on the road.