Missouri Opens First of Nine State-Funded Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Drivers of electric vehicles (EV) can now charge up at the FastLane Convenience Store in Kingdom City.

According to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the FastLane site is the first EV charging station funded through the state's Volkswagen Settlement Environmental Mitigation Trust.

The new charging station, which is owned by Fulton-based Callaway Electric Cooperative, is one of nine sites to be awarded trust funding in 2020. Eight other sites across the state were awarded and are progressing toward completion. They will be located in Bethany, Cameron, Columbia, Concordia, Joplin, Tarkio, Sikeston and Springfield.

Each station will include two DC Fast Chargers with both CHAdeMO and CCS1 Combo plugs to service the greatest number of electric vehicles currently available to drivers.

Many sites will also include Level 2 chargers to provide the greatest flexibility for drivers. Like traditional gas stations, pricing is determined by each charging station’s owner, the department said.

"We are excited about the opening of Missouri's first electric vehicle charging station built with VW Trust funding," said Dru Buntin, acting director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. "It is a major milestone for this important project that represents a real victory for electric vehicle drivers in Missouri, whether they are residents or visitors."

In consultation with experts and the public, the department developed a minimum practical network plan of 13 sites located at targeted highway intersections across Missouri. During the previous application period, the department was able to award all but four of the identified sites.

Applications will be accepted later this summer for the remaining four sites, located in Perryville, Harrisonville, Rolla and Nevada, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.