The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) unveiled the first electric vehicle (EV) charging station in Smiths Station.
City leaders gathered with state officials at the Love’s Travel Stop for a ribbon-cutting.
“It’s wonderful that ADECA and Love’s can work together to bring this charging station to Smiths Station,” said Mayor Richard Cooley. “EV owners will have the convenience of charging right next to U.S. 280 and use Love’s as a one-stop convenience location to re-energize before getting back on the road.”
The charging station was funded in part by the Alabama EV Infrastructure Grant Program, administered by the ADECA.
“It’s critically important to have easy, accessible and convenient charging on Alabama’s major highways, and that’s exactly what this charging station provides,” said Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition president Michael Staley. Thanks to developing an extremely popular competitive grant program, ADECA has brought together public and private partners, like Love’s, to make Alabama more welcoming for EV owners.”
A similar project was funded in part by ADECA in Orange Beach. As the popularity of EVs increases, officials said more charging stations are needed in Alabama.
“The number of EVs on the road continues to grow, and that’s why the number of public chargers is increasing throughout the state,” said ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell. “Not only is it good for EV owners to have a convenient place to charge, it’s also good for local communities because those owners eat at local restaurants, shop at local businesses and contribute to the area’s economic prosperity while their vehicles are charging.”
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