News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Electric car owners will have a new charging station in the City of Livingston soon.
The project at Livingston’s Central Park is part of a three-year study program conducted by Tennessee Tech and Seven States Power Corporation. UCEMC President Jimmy Gregory said his company is partnering with both organizations.
“[The project’s purpose is] to study the feasibility of electric vehicles in rural areas,” Gregory said. “We’ve agreed to do a small part to promote the project and to promote the product we sell. We think electric vehicles will become more and more popular.”
Gregory said two main issue with electric vehicles include recharging and its operating range. In rural areas, there are few charging spaces in between larger cities to plug into.
The City of Carthage is also part of the project. Gregory said they should have their chargers installed this week, while Livingston should have electric stations in a few weeks.
“People who own electric vehicles are using their home chargers versus a Level Two charger,” Gregory said. “This is going to be a level two charger, it’s capable of charging that battery to 75 percent in 45 minutes. Rural chargers will take a much longer period of time because the charging rates is a lot less.”
Tech first announced the research project in Fall 2019. The project is funded through a $779,823 U.S. Department of Energy grant.
