Memphis Gets CHARGED UP!

The Peabody Hotel’s charging station is the first publicly available charging station installed in the Memphis area through The EV Project.

Today, Mayor A C Wharton, Jr., Memphis Light Gas & Water, and ECOtality, a leader in clean transportation and storage technologies, will provide an update on the status of The EV Project in Memphis at 1:00 p.m. at the Peabody Hotel, 149 Union Avenue.

The Peabody Hotel recently completed the installation of their Blink Level 2 charging station for electric vehicles (EVs.) The charging is open to the public and can accommodate the all-electric Nissan LEAF.

“We are very excited to be included in this progressive initiative,” stated Mayor Wharton when Memphis formally joined the EV Project. “The Memphis area is so integral to the commerce and transportation needs of the entire country, which means we have an environmental, economic, and moral imperative to be a civic leader in advancing the deployment of electric vehicles throughout our community.”

The EV Project is the largest deployment of electric vehicles and charge infrastructure in history.

As project manager of The EV Project, San Francisco-based ECOtality is overseeing the deployment of approximately 14,000 charging stations in 18 major metropolitan areas in six states and the District of Columbia. The project is funded by the U. S. Department of Energy through a federal stimulus grant made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“With each charging station installation, we move one step closer to establishing the rich public charging infrastructure that will drive EV adoption in Tennessee and across the United States,” said Jonathan Read, CEO of ECOtality. “The Peabody Hotel is an ideal location for our Blink charging stations, and we are excited to continue our work with the city of Memphis to electrify the city’s streets.”

Nissan LEAF drivers who qualify to participate in The EV Project will receive a residential charger at no cost. In addition, most, if not all of the installation cost, will be paid for by The EV Project. The EV Project will collect and analyze data to characterize vehicle use in diverse topographic and climatic conditions, evaluate the effectiveness of charge infrastructure, and conduct trials of various revenue systems for commercial and public charge infrastructures. In February 2011, Memphis became the fourth major metropolitan area in Tennessee to join the EV Project.

"History will record that the birth of electric vehicles in Memphis and Shelby County took place in the year 2011. Take notice. The world of energy is changing and we are keeping pace with that change," said Jerry R. Collins, Jr., MLGW president and CEO.

The Peabody Hotel’s charging station is the first publicly available charging station installed in the Memphis area through The EV Project. ECOtality is working with its partners to determine the best sites for charging station installations, and is taking into account traffic patterns and the locations of employment centers, regional attractions, and retail hubs.

"The Tennessee Hospitality Association and our local association members are very excited to support green initiatives across the state such as the EV Project,” says Greg Adkins, CEO of the Tennessee Hospitality Association. “Memphis is a perfect fit for this program and it takes a lot of initiative to recognize the future demand for electric charging stations. As the second largest industry in the state, the hospitality industry is a natural market for consumers to use electronic transportation."