Florida Deploys Pop-Up EV Fast Chargers for Hurricane Milton Evacuation

As of Wednesday afternoon, Hurricane Milton is bearing down on Florida, with the Category 3 storm expected to make landfall this evening. Evacuation orders are in place in certain parts of the states, and highways are filled with residents fleeing the tempest's path. Reports of gas stations running out of fuel are making national headlines... but what about electric vehicles?

Chargers don’t “run out” of electricity, but with so many evacuating at the same time, it can put extra stress on charging infrastructure. To help relieve that pressure, the Florida Department of Emergency Management is deploying temporary EV charging stations along the evacuation corridor. It’s not a massive undertaking, but Florida says it’s deploying “up to 10” charging stations — with a total of six currently live and running as of this article’s publishing.

Most of them are positioned off Interstate 75 heading north, but there’s one positioned to aid southbound traffic now, as well. Florida says the charging stations all have a single plug, but also have adapters that allow any EV capable of fast charging to use it. That means Teslas that use NACS, the majority of EVs that use the CCS port, and even those like the Nissan Leaf with CHAdeMO can use the stations. Charging speed maxes out at 50 kilowatts, which is relatively low for a Level 3 fast charger; so most permanent EV fast-charging stations can deliver higher rates of power. That said, even 50 kW is better than waiting in a long line — or not charging at all.

You can check back at this link to find the stations that are currently operable along evacuation routes. Plus, the U.S. Department of Energy provides an “Alternative Fuel Station Locator” that will provide locations of any and all EV chargers, including the new pop-up ones. We’d recommend the PlugShare app, as well — especially since it includes user feedback that could be critical in knowing if a charging station is or isn’t functioning at a time when mass power outages will be likely.

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