WASHINGTON, Dec 11 Reuters The first electric vehicle charging station funded by a 7.5 billion U.S. government program has begun operating in Ohio, the White House said Monday as the government ramps up charging to address a key concern of potential buyers.

Automakers and others say drastically boosting EV charging stations is crucial to the wide deployment of electric vehicles.

The White House goal is to grow the nationwide network of chargers to 500,000, including highspeed chargers no more than 50 miles 80 km apart on the nation39;s busiest highways and interstates.

The funding comes from the 1 trillion 2021 infrastructure law. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said the first station opening is a major step to create a convenient, affordable, and reliable electrified transportation system.

As of December, the United States has more than 165,000 public charging ports and since the start of the Biden administration, the number of publicly available fast charging ports has increased by more than 70, the White House said.

Biden in 2021 set a goal, backed by automakers, seeking 50 of new vehicles by 2030 to be EVs or plugin hybrids.

The White House said Ohio has opened its first charging station near Columbus, while Vermont, Pennsylvania, and Maine have broken ground on new stations.

All 50 states have developed plans for building EV infrastructure and many states have begun issuing proposals or awarded contracts for installing charges funded under the program,…