By Robert Wang, The Repository

CANTON – Ohio plans to spend about $100 million over the next five years to build fast-charging stations for electric vehicles along highways, including possibly two in Stark County.

A map in a state draft plan proposes such stations be located near the Interstate 77/U.S. Route 30 interchange and off the Whipple Avenue NW/Everhard Road NW exit.

The Ohio Department of Transportation, using federal money, wants to place one EV station every 50 miles along interstate highways. Each station, which could charge at least four vehicles at a time, would cost anywhere from $600,000 to $1.2 million to build.

The Federal Highway Administration has designated all of I-77 in Ohio and Route 30 west of I-77 as alternative fuel corridors where planners would want to build EV charging stations.

At the end of May, Ohio had 24,502 registered electric vehicles, according to DriveOhio’s registered alternative fuel vehicles dashboard. Ohio has 8.1 million registered passenger vehicles overall.