Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Georgia Power Employees Can Drive to Work, Plug In


Georgia Power announced recently that it is offering electric vehicle charging stations to employees at some of its offices, with the aim of developing strategies for best uses of charging equipment.
The utility company is participating in ECOtality's Electric Vehicle Project – a public-private partnership with the Department of Energy that evaluates the effectiveness of EV charger infrastructure.

Georgia Power said it is putting 10 smart chargers at its headquarters in Atlanta, and will add chargers at other business locations around the state.

The company said it hopes to maximize employees' electric vehicle range and to expand the feasibility of commuting by electric vehicle to more of its employees.

"Offering this option to our employees is just another way we're showing our commitment to the electric transportation industry," Mike Hazelton , Georgia Power's vice president of marketing, said in a news release. "Our participation in this project allows us to further explore innovative ways to help our customers save money, use energy efficiently and help the environment."

Hazelton said estimates say that in the next 10 years, 5 to 10 percent of new cars on the road in Georgia will be fueled in whole, or in part, by electricity.

Gas-electric hybrids have enjoyed growing popularity since coming to market in the late 1990s, with the most successful model being the Toyota Prius.

But most of those sold do not need to be plugged in.

In recent years, however, automakers have introduced partial or all-electric vehicles that do require charging, including the Chevrolet Volt, which is gas and electric, the Nissan Leaf, which is all electric and the Toyota Prius Plug-In .



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