Hendersonville Installs Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Hendersonville Installs Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Unveiling Planned for 11 AM, February 8, at corner of 4th Ave and Church St

HENDERSONVILLE, NC, February 6, 2012— The City of Hendersonville is excited to announce it has recently installed the first two electric vehicle charging stations in public parking lots in Henderson County. The charging stations are located in the Dogwood Parking lot at the corner of Church St and 4th Avenue in downtown Hendersonville. These charging stations can be used by the public to recharge plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) such as the hybrid electric Chevy Volt and the all-electric Nissan LEAF.

While most charging will take place at home overnight, public charging stations are being installed worldwide to increase the security and convenience of driving electric vehicles. A smooth transition to plug-in electric vehicles will help lower vehicle emissions and reduce our nation’s reliance on foreign petroleum.

Hendersonville Mayor Barbara Volk said the City is proud to be one of the first in the region to offer electric vehicle charging to the public. “These stations will give our residents and visitors a further reason to stroll, shop and dine on Hendersonville’s Main Street. People consider our downtown charming and quaint. But as a City we are committed to providing infrastructure that reflects a modern lifestyle. The PEV chargers, as well as the WiFi we have provided on Main Street for several years now, are results of that commitment,” said Mayor Volk.

The City of Hendersonville will officially cut the ribbon on the new charging stations in the Dogwood Parking Lot on Wednesday, February 8 at 11 AM, and invite the public and media to the unveiling to see how the new charging stations work.

Part of a Regional Effort
These charging station installations are part of a larger regional effort to deploy a network of public charging stations at strategic locations where citizens work, shop, eat, learn and play. The Land of Sky Clean Vehicles Coalition, which promotes the use of alternative fuel vehicles, has organized an Electric Vehicle Committee that is developing a regional plan to prepare the Asheville region for the roll out of plug-in electric vehicles. The Electric Vehicles Committee is currently identifying locations for charging stations, educating local government officials and the public about PEVs, and training electrical contractors on proper charging station installation. Funds were secured through a grant from the State Energy Office to Advanced Energy to assist in installing a dozen charging stations in the region. Under the grant to Advanced Energy, public charging stations have been installed in downtown Asheville, Hendersonville, Black Mountain, Montreat, at Haywood Community College in Clyde, and at the Land of Sky Regional Council office in Asheville. In addition, Duke Energy and Progress Energy have launched incentive programs to help PEV owners install home charging stations.

For more information on Hendersonville’s charging stations, contact Bo Ferguson, City Manager, or Tom Wooten, Public Works Director, at 828-697-3000. To learn more about PEVs and charging stations go to www.goelectricdrive.com. For more information on the Asheville Area EV Initiative, contact Brian Taylor (828-251-6622, brian@landofsky.org ) or visit the EV Committee website: www.advantagegreennetwork.org/group/ashevilleareaevcommittee.