Kentucky currently has about 500 electric vehicle charging stations, but experts say the state will need to increase that number to meet demand.

With the surge of electric vehicles on the road.

Our Casey Parker Bell spoke with the director of the University of Kentucky's Advanced Motor Drive's Power Electronics and Renewable Energy Lab, about electrification across the Commonwealth.

Compared to other states like Ohio or Tennessee.

I think we are a little bit behind, so we need to have a more public charging stations across the whole state, including both urban and rural and underserved areas.

Do you have an estimate of how many charging stations Kentucky might need to meet demand?

So I remember some other like, you know, roughly data rate from other states.

And I would say, you know, like a 1000 to 2000 study stations to be available in the next two years and would be maybe a good number to start.

It's good to have a mode public charging stations of example, a highway every 50 miles so we can have one charging station right across the whole state for the highway, interstate.

Kentucky is one of the few states that doesn't incentivize the purchase of electric vehicles.

What are other states doing to incentivize people to purchase them?

Yeah, most other states, as you know, as you know, they provide incentives, rebates, tax credits to encourage more residents to purchase electric house.

And as far as I know, the you know, U.S. rent is that between like $2000 to $4000.

If Kentucky's a little bit behind some of our neighboring states, you mentioned Ohio and Tennessee, how hard could it be for us to catch up so that we are where they are?

I think it's more states under the federal support to build a more public charging station charging infrastructure.

I don't think it's a very tough ride for us to catch up.

And especially right now, we already have a lot even in manufacturing companies in our state.

So that's easy for us to be to like more comprehensive manufacturing, you know, supply chain saw.

And on the other hand, as we discussed earlier, if our state can provide, you know, some rebate incentives for future consumers to purchase more electric vehicles, then I think, you know, we will be probably not that tough, right, to catch up with other states.

So I think to me, I'm optimistic.

In September, Governor Andy Beshear announced Kentucky received more than $70 million to develop an electric vehicle charging network.

The plan to develop the EV network designates Kentucky's 11 Interstates and eight parkways as alternative fuel corridors or AFC.

On those routes, charging stations must be located no more than 50 miles apart.

Specific locations for the stati