Electric vehicle purchases are on the rise in Alabama and across the nation. Only about 1% of registered vehicles in the U.S. are currently electric, but EVs account for nearly 8% of new car purchases, which means a rising number of people are making the switch, even here in Alabama.

Local officials gathered at the Love’s convenience store on Highway 280 in Smiths Station for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new charging station.

A new electric vehicle charging station at Cumberland Farms in Orange Beach will benefit the local economy by giving tourists and local EV owners an additional place for convenient charging.

Local officials joined representatives from EG America, a convenience store retailer with over 1,500 locations across the country, to celebrate the new EV charging station on Wednesday with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting at Cumberland Farms, located at 23679 Canal Road in Orange Beach.

Mark Turner offered an unusual perspective about driving electric during Saturday’s Birmingham Earth Day EV Showcase at The Market at Pepper Place.

Turner has put nearly 110,000 miles on his all-electric Chevrolet Bolt in less than two years as a ride-share driver.

Steve Henderson had never driven an electric vehicle before Saturday.

But after slipping behind the wheel of an all-electric Chevrolet Silverado pickup provided by Donohoo Chevrolet at Little River Earth Fest in Fort Payne, Henderson walked away with a new appreciation for what an EV can do.

The city of Tuscaloosa will install two charging stations for electric vehicle drivers at the Springhill Suites on Greensboro Avenue. The funding for the installations comes from $2 million in grants from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.

Specifically, a $349,321 grant was awarded to Texas-based Universal EV LCC to do the Tuscaloosa installations. Six grants were awarded in total. Continue reading “Tuscaloosa to receive new charging stations for electric vehicles” →

Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition President and new EV owner Michael Staley describes taking his family on their first significant road trip in his all-electric pick-up truck. Michael and his family travelled from metro Birmingham to Alabama’s beaches on a trip that covered 800 miles of driving.

The batteries of electric vehicles subject to the normal use of real-world drivers – like heavy traffic, long highway trips, short city trips, and mostly being parked – could last about a third longer than researchers have generally forecast, according to a new study by scientists working in the SLAC-Stanford Battery Center, a joint center between Stanford University’s Precourt Institute for Energy and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. This suggests that the owner of a typical EV may not need to replace the expensive battery pack or buy a new car for several additional years.

MONTGOMERY— Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant to help the city of Greenville embrace a step into the future. The grant will fund critical water and sewer infrastructure to support a new development along Interstate 65 focused on electric vehicle travel.

The project, spearheaded by Atlanta-based company Switchyard Management LLC, will provide shopping, dining and entertainment options built around EV charging stations. “The Switchyard” will be accessible for all travelers and will employ 12 people.

By Frederick Kennedy

Back when I served as a County Commissioner in Pickens County, I constantly searched for ways to save money because I wanted to be a responsible steward of the people’s money. I wasn’t alone.

Every responsible elected official, from county commissioners and local mayors all the way to the governor’s office, strives to pinch pennies and maximize Alabamians’ tax dollars. At least that was my government experience.