STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Like many local people, you may fill up your car at the gas pump.But some visitors to Starkville and surrounding towns are rolling in with an EV, an electric vehicle.This is the future of the pit stop.
Pull in and plug in.
Starkville Utilities General Manager, Edward Kemp said it’s a privilege to have these new fast-chargers for motorists who want to charge and go. “A new technology. The new advanced features as opposed to some of the older chargers. We have some of those here, but we wanted to provide more options for more people to charge their electric vehicles,” said Kemp. Starkville Utilities received a grant from Tennessee Valley Authority to help fund the two EV chargers through their Fast Charge Network program.
Josh Wooten, the Customer Relations Manager for TVA in Starkville, agrees this will give residents and visitors more options on how and where they can charge their electric cars. “Just providing that optionality here in Starkville, allows those that have EV charged vehicles to come in. They’re able to do business, they’re able to have fun here in Stark Vegas,” said Wooten.
One of TVA’s goals for these fast-charging stations is to be near convenience stores, restaurants, and restrooms, so that the driver can enjoy the town as they wait for their vehicle to be charged. Along with Seven States Power Corporation, TVA supports other towns in Northeast Mississippi to also gain access to these new chargers. “We’re targeting a charger like this every 50 miles along major interstates and highways,” said Wooten.
Kemp sees this new addition in Starkville as a step towards a more progressive future. “It’s also just trying to be a part of and build the grid of the future. We know that electric vehicles are becoming more and more common placed in our community certainly but also in our entire economic atmosphere,” said Kemp.
The fast-chargers are available 24/7 on Lampkin Street.
West Point, Tupelo, and other towns in the area will also be getting new fast charging stations for electric vehicles through TVA.
