Ohio is the first state to announce NEVI fast charger locations – but it’s still an EV laggard
Ohio is now the first US state to announce the locations for its federal NEVI-funded DC charging stations – but its EV registration policy stinks.
Where Ohio’s NEVI-funded charging stations are going
The state will award more than $18 million in National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program funds for 27 DC fast charging stations along seven of Ohio’s interstate corridors, including I-70, I-71, I-74, I-75, I-76, I-77, and I-90. Private organizations are also contributing $6 million to the program.
The charging stations will be sited next to travel centers, supermarkets, retail shops, a hotel, a restaurant, and a bank.
The new DC charging stations will be located every 50 miles and will be no more than 1 mile off the interstate. Each site will include at least four 150 kW charger ports and will be accessible 24/7 with easy access to food, drink, and restrooms. They’re all expected to come online next year.
Governor Mike DeWine’s (R-OH) website says that the Ohio Department of Transportation will issue its second request for proposals to install an additional 16 DC fast charging stations along Ohio’s major US and state routes. Ohio will receive $140 million in NEVI funds over the next five years to install EV charging stations across the state.
The US Department of Transportation’s NEVI program is providing funding to states to build a US-wide network of EV chargers. The program has been allotted $1 billion a year for five years from 2022.
Most states are expected to provide access to NEVI funding in 2023. According to the US Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, the program will result in EV chargers having a presence across more than 75,000 miles of US highway.
Electrek’s Take
It’s great to see where NEVI chargers are actually going for the first time – it’s a significant step in the NEVI program.
DeWine said in his announcement, “This is an exciting time for Ohio as we continue to lead the charge in electric mobility.” But Ohio isn’t exactly the “electric mobility” leader that DeWine says it is.
Here’s a snapshot of where Ohio stands when it comes to EVs and charging infrastructure: According to location data and tech company HERE Technologies, Ohio ranks 10th among states for having the most EV charging stations, with 1,623. That’s a pretty respectable ranking. It has 23 EVs per charging station.
However, Ohio has burdened EV drivers with one of the highest registration fees in the US for BEV and hybrid vehicles. Also it has no tax credit for EV purchases and it also doesn’t do an HOV lane or any other incentives.
The annual registration fee for all passenger vehicles is $31. If you drive hybrid, you have to pay an extra $100 a year. And if you drive a BEV, then you have to pay an extra $200 a year. If you drive a gas car, it’s zero extra charge. That means BEV drivers pay nearly seven times more to register their car than gas car drivers.
Frankly, that’s downright EV-hostile to the projected 37,300 EV drivers in Ohio for this year.
Two high school sophomores in Cleveland wrote an article in May for cleveland.com, and they rightly pointed out how unfair the EV registration policy is:
According to an Ohio Department of Transportation study presuming an average 10,000 miles driven per year, the owner of an average-efficiency, gas-powered car (getting 20 to 30 miles per gallon) currently pays – between gas taxes and registration fees – $191 per year. The registration fee for electric vehicles alone is $231, a big difference.
So, nice one on the EV chargers, Ohio. But its state legislators need to fix this burdensome EV registration situation immediately.
That is – if they really do want to stop the greenwashing and “lead the charge.”
Read more: The best (and worst) US states for EV charging
Photo: EVGo
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Environment
Tesla says not taking Cybertruck trade-ins after owner tried to return his due to ‘anti-nazi harassment’
Tesla reportedly told a Cybertruck owner that it is currently not taking Cybertruck trade-ins after an owner tried to return his truck due to what he described as “anti-nazi harassment.”
We recently reported that vandals have targeted Tesla locations with anti-nazi and fascist graffiti following Elon Musk’s meddling in politics.
But Tesla owners are also facing a similar situation.
We have recently seen examples of Tesla owners being targeted by similar efforts with people spray painting anti-fascism messages on the vehicles or simply throwing the middle finger at Tesla owners.
Cybertruck owners seem to be getting the brunt of it, probably because it is the most recognizable Tesla vehicle and the latest offered by the company. So, people assume that the owner bought it while knowing of Elon Musk’s latest antics.
Kumait Jaroje, a cosmetic physician based in central Massachusetts, is one of those Cybertruck owners stuck in this situation.
He reported to social media and to local news that he and his family are being harassed because of his gold-wrapped Cybertruck:
“Now, they’re not just waving at me, they’re not just giving me the middle finger. Somebody tried to cut me off while I’m driving with my kids and three guys came out of the car and just pointed the middle finger and started screaming at me.”
More recently, he says that someone placed an anti-nazi sticker on his truck:
After his wife said that she didn’t feel safe driving the truck, Jaroje tried to trade it in to Tesla, but he said that Tesla told him they are not accepting Cybertruck trade-ins:
He confirmed with the text message that Tesla is not accepting Cybertruck trade-ins at this moment.
We previously reported that Tesla is currently overwhelmed with Cybertruck inventory as the truck is having demand issues.
Electrek’s Take
Free speech, right? Not really. You can give the middle finger to all the Cybertruck owners if you want to. It’s a bit childish, but it’s your right. However, your rights end where others begin, and you have no right to put stickers on other people’s property.
Also, cutting people off in traffic is plain dangerous for all road users regardless of what you think of a stupid truck. Interestingly, I had the same thing happen to me when I reviewed the Cybertruck last year, but it was because people where trying to take pictures of the truck.
I understand the hate for Tesla right now. Elon Musk has complete control over the company despite owning only 13%, and he used his wealth from the company to elect Trump and get himself a very strange position within the government where he holds incredible amounts of power with little to no oversight. It’s a scary situation that looks like the beginning of a straight-up oligarchy in the US.
Some Tesla owners are OK with that, some disagree that this is happening, some ignore it, some hate it. You don’t know in which category every Tesla owner finds themselves, and changing a vehicle is a big deal for most people. You can’t expect everyone who disagrees with the situation to be able to change the car.
You can boycott Tesla, but harassing Tesla owners is not OK in my opinion.
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India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sept. 4, 2024.
Dean Kassim | Afp | Getty Images
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is headed to Washington, D.C., for meetings with President Donald Trump and members of his administration, including Elon Musk, to discuss topics such as efforts to avoid a trade war and artificial intelligence policy, CNBC has confirmed.
In his meetings with President Trump on Thursday, Modi will address the country’s growing trade deficit and present a menu of trade concessions including some tied to agriculture and medical devices, according to sources familiar with the upcoming talks who asked not to be named because they weren’t authorized to speak on the matter.
Modi and his team will also signal India’s intent to buy more liquified natural gas from the U.S., a deal that will likely involve Cheniere Energy. India already buys one-fifth of its LNG from the U.S. and is one of the world’s biggest importers.
A senior official in Modi’s government told CNBC that India is ready to procure more U.S. defense equipment from Stryker, and to find other ways to partner with Washington on military drills in the Indian Ocean, where China remains a lingering threat.
While in Washington, Modi will spend time with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as well as Howard Lutnick, Trump’s nominee to run the Commerce Department.
Modi will also have a one-on-one meeting with Musk, who is overseeing the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, with a focus on slashing federal programs and regulations. Modi’s discussion with the world’s richest person is expected to center on AI policy, Starlink’s expansion into India and Tesla’s ability to open up a plant in the country, the government official said.
A White House spokesperson did not respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
On technology, Modi and his team will also reinforce their interest in buying high-performance graphics processing units, or GPUs, from the U.S. and in avoiding any forthcoming export controls from the Trump administration. In a recent trip to Mumbai, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang expressed interest in partnering with India’s Reliance Industries to further the country’s AI efforts.
It will not be the first meeting between the Indian leader and Musk.
Just before Modi’s state visit to Washington in 2023, Musk met with Modi in New York to discuss slashing electric vehicle import duties in India and other ways Tesla’s expansion into India could become a reality.
Tesla has not publicly shared a plan to build a factory in India, and has instead continued to focus on China. But India has become a big growth market for U.S. tech.
Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Google and Amazon have pledged billions of dollars of investment in India’s growth and to capitalize on the country’s emerging middle class.
According to analysts’ estimates, Apple now manufactures 10% to 15% of its iPhones in India, and CEO Tim Cook has suggested that the company is looking to potentially move more production there. Apple also opened a few retail stores in India in 2023.
For Modi, the trip represents an opportunity for a much-needed boost to his company’s private sector. The MSCI India exchange-traded fund has fallen 5% this year and more than 15% since late September. Meanwhile, Chinese stocks have been rallying as emerging market investors bet on the country’s AI advancements, particularly following recent reports about the power and efficiency of DeepSeek’s model. The iShares MSCI China ETF is up 11% in 2025.
![Jeep's new Recon EV made a surprise Super Bowl cameo [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/02/Jeep-Recon-EV-Super-Bowl.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Jeep’s Wrangler-inspired electric SUV made a surprise appearance during the big game on Sunday. Jeep previewed the Recon EV during a Super Bowl ad, in which it took a shot at Ford. In the commercial, you can see Jeep’s new electric SUV looks ready to challenge the Ford Bronco.
Jeep Recon EV previewed during the Super Bowl
The Recon is the second Jeep electric SUV set to launch in the US. Jeep introduced it in 2022 as part of its plans to become “the leading electrified SUV brand” in North America and Europe.
Built from the ground up with its 4×4 off-road system, Jeep promises the Recon will be its first true off-road electric SUV.
Jeep says the Recon is “inspired by the legendary Wrangler” with optional features like removable doors and windows. Although it’s still built for extreme adventures, the Recon is nearly silent, making that open-air drive even more enjoyable.
Stellantis took the big game as an opportunity, recruiting Harrison Ford to take a shot at its cross-town rival. The Super Bowl ad featured several different Jeep Wrangler 4xe models while the new Recon EV made a surprise appearance.
The Recon looked sleek while off-roading with Jeep’s iconic Punk’n Orange exterior color, a blacked-out roof, and doors removed.
Jeep will launch the Recon EV later this year. With its official debut just around the corner, several models have been spotted in public testing in recent months.
Most recently, the electric SUV was spotted in Michigan with barely any camouflage. The closer it gets to production, the more it looks like a Ford Bronco.
Based on the same STLA Large platform as Jeep’s first electric SUV, the Wagoneer S, the Recon is expected to have a driving range of over 300 miles.
Jeep has yet to reveal prices, but the Recon is expected to start at around $60,000, or slightly less than the Wagoneer S.
What do you think of Jeep’s new electric SUV, the Recon? Would you buy it for around $60,000? Drop us a comment below and let us know your thoughts.
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