2,500 EV Chargers Coming to Tennessee from DOE Grant

An alternative fuel company plans to build electric vehicle charging stations in five regions including Tennessee. Arizona-based eTec received $100 million in federal stimulus money Wednesday through the Department of Energy.

Participating cities of Knoxville, Chattanooga and Nashville will get a combined 2,500 universal charging stations. Many will be in-home chargers for owners of electric vehicles. Others will be located at parking garages, malls and large employers.

Franklin-based Nissan recently unveiled its zero-emissions sedan called LEAF. The company’s director of product planning Mark Perry says the car’s 100-mile range is more-than-enough for most drivers. But he says the accessibility of charging stations is key to pushing sales.

“The public chargers that are out there or the places to charge at work, that’s to make people feel they can really use all the range they have available to them in the car.”

eTec will also build a network of charging stations in Oregon, San Diego, Seattle and Phoenix. Local governments have agreed to match the grant money with funds or property for the charging stations.

The five test markets are all places Nissan planned to debut the LEAF. The Japanese-made electric vehicle should be available by next year. Production will eventually move to Smyrna in late 2012.

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