According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), a global forum of 29 industrialized countries that track and analyze energy trends, the deployment of public charging infrastructure is critical to spur sustained growth of electric vehicle (EV) sales and widespread adoption. Currently, though, the IEA says most owners charge their EVs at home.

“Although there are many more private chargers, public charging and the interoperability of its infrastructure is key to enabling more widespread adoption of and more equitable access to EVs,” reads an IEA report called Trends in Electric Charging.

To that end, the U.S. intends to build a national network of at least 500,000 public chargers by 2030. That commitment is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which invests $7.5 billion in EV charging alone. Referred to as the “backbone” of high-speed chargers, the proposed network will proliferate throughout major roads, freeways, and interstates across the U.S., with stations no less than every 50 miles.

“Coverage is key,” says Michelle Stark, P.E., CDM Smith. Stark is an electrical engineer, who has been designing and building electrical systems for almost 30 years. One of her more recent projects involves the electrification of a fleet for a major utility in the northeast.

Keep reading to learn more about embarking on a fleet conversion project.