EV Charging Stations Make Local Debut

Carthage, Tn. Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation, in partnership with Seven States Power Corporation, has completed work on one of two electric vehicle charging stations planned for its multi-county service area. The EV stations are part of a Tennessee Tech University study which evaluates the use of electric cars by rural and economically distressed consumers.

The owner of Sav-Way market on Dixon Springs Highway in Carthage donated ten square feet of his store’s parking lot for the small “Level Two” charging station, which accommodates two vehicles. The location will allow drivers to charge their EV battery while grocery shopping or dining at nearby restaurants.

The TTU study, funded by a grant from the Department of Energy, will help determine how well EVs are going to be received in rural communities. Few rural areas offer charging stations and that is one of the roadblocks to EV sales. The battery, with a limited lifespan and range, is one of the highest costs of owning an electric vehicle.

“EV drivers in rural areas need to feel confident that they can find these chargers as they go about their day, and won’t be stranded with a dead battery on a country road,” says UCEMC General Manager Jimmy Gregory. “EVs have long been a popular urban vehicle, but that’s changing quickly and we need to be ready.”

Carthage and Livingston are included as part of the TTU study which focuses on EV use in Putnam, Clay, DeKalb, Jackson, Overton, Smith, White, Macon, Cannon, Cumberland, Fentress, Pickett and Van Buren counties.

The Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency is a research partner on the TTU project and plans to soon operate a fully-electric shuttle bus as part of the study.