Tag: Nick Buffo

Charlotte, N.C. — The North Carolina Department of Transportation is shifting gears when it comes to electric vehicles.

The department announced plans to scale back the number of EV charging stations it had initially committed to build along interstates and highways.

Instead, it’ll put more of the state’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) funds toward infrastructure in communities, rural areas and highways “where less coverage exists.”

Tatiana Pisarski and her husband are among 140,000 North Carolina drivers who’ve pulled the plug on gas-powered travel, according to NCDOT registration data from Oct. 2025.

“It was something new and different,” Pisarski said. “We wanted to try it out and haven’t looked back since then.”

Pisarski believes more charging stations are needed to help meet demand.

“We’ve noticed most of [the chargers] are stationed around highways, major intersections,” Pisarski said. “And I think for those that live outside the big cities, it would be good for them to have access to charging stations as well.”

North Carolina received $109 million in funding from the Federal Highway Administration to build out a fast-charging network across the state.

NCDOT originally planned to build 50 stations along major highways in so-called “Alternative Fuel Corridors.”

But, NCDOT says that new federal guidance allows them flexibility to focus on areas where fewer chargers exist.

As a result, NCDOT says it’s scaling back to 16 locations in rural towns and along highways, such as I-26 in western North Carolina and U.S. 74 in Anson and Richmond counties.

“Right now, there are some charging stations, but having more would give us different options,” Pisarski said.

As the state moves in a new direction, Pisarski believes building more EV stations in rural communities may help convince other drivers to make the switch.

“Based on my personal experience, once you switch over, I have not seen people back to gas cars,” Pisarski said. “Most people love it, and stick to EVs, and you know, only driving EVs, such as my family.”

NCDOT says it plans in late March to issue a request for proposals for businesses interested in applying for NEVI funds to build and operate charging stations in those rural areas.

The NEVI Program provides up to 80% reimbursement for private companies building these stations for a five-year period. After five years, the charging stations will continue to operate without government support, according to NCDOT.

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SHELBY, N.C. — Teen drivers in North Carolina have a way to take an important step toward getting their license without having to go to the DMV office.

The North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles announced in October that teens trying to advance to a Level 2 limited provisional license can now do so by taking their road tests with a certified private driving school.

Safe Lane Driving School in Shelby is one of at least 25 certified schools across the state.

“Pretty neat to be one of the first schools to be able to give those road tests,” owner Phillip Glover said.

The recent change made by the state DMV gives teens and parents a choice to skip the DMV office and gives them more flexibility since certified driving schools can do the test on nights and weekends.

“Also, it gives a relief to the DMV employees, that they don’t have to leave the office and do the work,” Glover said. “And they don’t have to be out of the office for 20 minutes to go do a road test.”

The NCDMV says the new initiative aims to lower wait times at driver’s license offices.

The change adds not only convenience but also comfort. Some teens may be able to take what may be a stressful test with a familiar face.

“Just talking to some of the teens already that have taken the road test through us, the stress level of coming here doesn’t exist for them,” Glover said. “They felt better about [the test].”

As more people learn about this change, Glover thinks demand will only increase.

“I think it was a great idea that the commissioner and the governor came up with, thinking outside of the box of how we can improve the DMV for the citizens of North Carolina,” Glover said. “And I think they’re going in the right step.”

This change comes as the state is making other improvements at the DMV. That includes the sign-in process, which now allows drivers to watch their place in line on their phones and receive a text when it’s their time to come back to the office.

They’ve also added nearly 65 examiners, thanks to the mini-budget passed by the legislature in the summer.

A new law also allows eligible North Carolina drivers without a Real ID to renew their licenses online, which a spokesperson with the NCDMV says about 4,000 drivers took advantage of on the first day.

For a full list of certified driving schools in North Carolina, click here.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – North Carolina’s electric vehicle market continues to accelerate.

More than 112,000 EVs were registered in the state as of February, a nearly 40% increase from the same time last year, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

As more drivers make the switch to electric, fast-charging networks are expanding across the state.

Charlotte area-based company, Koulomb, has several fast-charging stations across the Queen City.

It recently opened a charging depot off I-485 in south Charlotte. It’s equipped with 12 fast-chargers and allows drivers to re-charge their electric vehicles in about 15 minutes under a solar canopy.

“We can have 12 cars here at once,” Co-founder Jeff Constantineau said. “We haven’t seen that yet, but I imagine that day will come at some point.”

The site, which looks a bit like a gas station, has been at least two years in the making.

“It took a long time,” Constantineau said. “But there was a lot of work to be done here, and we pride ourselves in quality and we have to do the job right.”

Constantineau says the location helps accelerate the company’s goal to settle EV owners’ worries about driving long distances, otherwise known as “range anxiety.”

“This is a in-a-pinch solution,” Constantineau said. “Eighty percent of charging should be done at the home and in the garage. This 20% solution is really to fill that gap and provide customers more confidence to buy the EV and take the extra step.”

He admits not every driver has access to a charger at home or at work. And as of February, there are just under 2,000 public charging stations across North Carolina, not including Tesla chargers, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

“The technology is constantly improving,” Constantineau said. “Right now, we’re just throwing a pretty big band aid on a problem that’s occurring in the Southwest.”

On the other side of the state, Ionna, which is a partnership between eight of the world’s top automakers, has set up similar concepts known as “Rechargeries” in Garner and Apex.

The expansion of charging networks in North Carolina comes as President Donald Trump’s so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” will end a $7,500 federal EV tax credit at the end of September.

Constantineau says he’s uncertain about the impact that will have on his business.

“We got involved in this business because drive EVs, and we just believe it to be the better technology,” Constantineau said. “It’s more fun to drive. They don’t break down, the cost of ownership is super low… we believe in the technology.”

Constantineau says they’re showing no sign of pumping the brakes on expanding their charging network across the state.

“We’re going to build two more [depots],” Constantineau said. “I think we’ll build another two that aren’t depots, that are just kind of four spaces, and then we’ll probably pause for a little while and just watch customer feedback.”