Electric car drivers in the Northeast won’t have to worry about running out of battery power. Ten states from Massachusetts to Maryland are joining forces to install electric car charging stations throughout the region. The network of states will also work to attract private investment in clean vehicle infrastructure. The goal of the Northeast Electric Vehicle Network is to increase energy independence by reducing the use of petroleum and turning to clean vehicles and fuels. About 30 percent of the region’s greenhouse gas emissions come from cars, trucks, planes and trains.

President Obama has called for one million plug-in electric cars on the road by 2015. That would total 200,000 cars, based on population, for the ten states in the electric vehicle network. The installation of chargers is being supported by a nearly $1 million dollar grant by the Department of Energy.

In other parts of the U.S., there is a growing effort to add electric car chargers to public and private locations. Stores and restaurants like Walgreens, McDonalds and Cracker Barrel are installing charging stations for customers at some of their locations. Shopping malls including the King of Prussia near Philadelphia and the Mall of America in Minnesota also offer car charging stations for electric vehicle drivers.