Blink Charging Co. announced that it has been awarded Phase 2 grants from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to deploy DC fast charging stations. The 25 sites, featuring a total of 52 DC fast chargers, will be located in high-traffic areas along Florida’s major interstate highways, increasing access to EV charging for residents and travelers and strengthening the state’s resilience measures. This project is designed to provide fast charging opportunities across the state’s evacuation routes in the event of natural disasters. As the country looks to address the consequences of climate change and extreme weather, such as from hurricanes, new infrastructure powered by renewable energy is critical. Blink’s charging sites are intended to enhance the state’s resilience measures by increasing the availability and accessibility of its electric charging infrastructure at strategic site placements along Florida’s four main interstates on Routes 95, 75, 10 and 4. In addition, 23 of the charging stations deployed will include modular battery storage and solar canopies to further support the strength of the energy grid. The objective of Phase 2 of the Florida DEP grants is to develop a robust network of DC fast charging infrastructure across the state’s interstate highway system. With funds available from the Volkswagen Settlement, Florida made $16 million available for a total of 32 proposed sites, with a maximum grant award of $500,000 per site, all of which were individually awarded. With 25 sites, Blink was awarded nearly 80% of all available sites, bringing the company’s total grant award up to $12.5 million. The grant award locations include agreements between Blink and consumer brands that will serve as site host partners. Each location will deploy two 175kW DC fast chargers and deployment will begin this fall.