News Highlights

Appalachian Electric hosts electric vehicle fair

The center of Jefferson City became the pulse point for plug-in transportation Saturday afternoon when Appalachian Electric Cooperative coordinated the “2023 Lakeway Area EV Ride and Drive” event on Carson-Newman University’s campus. Various Teslas, Chevrolet Bolts and a couple of Fords were available for driving or ride-along opportunities.

Working with East Tennessee Clean Fuels (ETCF) and the Knoxville Electric Vehicle Association (KEVA), AEC assembled a cadre of EVs the public could review. Those registered could select one for a test drive on a predetermined 4.2-mile route.

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Town of Wytheville

Visit Wytheville and Wytheville Meeting Center staff have been using the electric vehicle provided by Virginia Clean Cities to make deliveries and run errands associated with the operation of the Visitors Center and Meeting Center. Virginia Clean Cities has loaned the 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV Premier to the Town of Wytheville during March as part of the Rural Reimagined program.

The Town has established a page on their website to help businesses and individuals learn of opportunities available through federal and state funding sources, tax credits, and other initiatives. You may visit that page at https://www.wytheville.org/wytheville-charged#/find/nearest.

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Electric vehicle provided by Virginia Clean Cities

Throughout the month of March, you may see Town of Wytheville staff driving an electric vehicle around town as they accomplish their daily tasks. Virginia Clean Cities is loaning the Town a 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV Premier as part of the Rural Reimagined program.

Rural Reimagined is a project aiming to bring electric vehicles (EV), outreach, and education to the rural Appalachian region spanning the states of Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Funded by the federal Department of Energy, this initiative is endeavoring to kick-start electric vehicle adoption and clean-energy job opportunities.

Virginia Clean Cities has the goal of advancing air quality improvement, economic opportunity, and energy security through the deployment of alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure, education programs, and other petroleum reduction activities. The Clean Cities program is sponsored by the Department of Energy.

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Town Manager Fully Charged About Electric Vehicle

PENNINGTON GAP, VA. (Powell Valley News) — A Chevy Bolt EUV has been seen around Pennington Gap and the surrounding area during February with Town manager Keith Harless positioned behind the wheel.

Harless can be heard offering high praise for the electric vehicle with the low operating cost, zero tailpipe emissions and technological innovations that the EUV utilizes all features that he finds attractive.

“I’ve noticed the trend for electric cars over the past several years and our area is like a desert when it comes to charging stations for public use,” said Harless. “That deters people from visiting Pennington Gap.”

He conducted research on EVs which allowed him to discover a campaign to promote electric vehicle travel in areas such as Southwest Virginia which are lacking infrastructure. Virginia Clean Cities, which is based in Harrisonburg at James Madison University, was along with the regional project which is called “Rural Reimagined” with the campaign part of an initiative to help bring greater access for travel through charging infrastructure to rural areas.

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Marion Co., West Virginia, Transit Authority unveils state's first electric public transportation van

FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WV News) — The Fairmont-Marion County Transit Authority on Tuesday afternoon became the first public transit organization in the state to unveil an electric van, which will be used as part of a larger initiative to increase alternative energy in Appalachia.

The initiative, called the “Rural Reimagined, Building an EV Ecosystem for Appalachia” project, is led by the Tennessee Technological University, with other partners including schools like West Virginia University, power and electric companies, local governments and others across West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio and Virginia.

Overall, the project aims to promote the increased adoption of electric vehicles, support infrastructure to provide charging for those vehicles, encourage the availability of electric vehicles in rural areas and “spur green economy development around transportation electrification.”

       

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