Tennessee Aims to Be Electric Car Capital of America

The electric car buzz is getting louder and louder, but that's a sweet sound to the people of Tennessee. Nissan plans to manufacture its eco-friendly Nissan Leaf electric car at a factory in Smyrna, Tennessee beginning in 2012. In the meantime, the whole state is going green as it makes plans to support widespread distribution of the fuel-efficient electric cars.

Efforts are underway across Tennessee to be ready for a surge in electric cars.

Nashville

The corporate home of Nissan North America is in the Nashville suburb of Smyrna, and the company has a lot riding on the success of the Leaf. In addition to the assembly line, Nissan is building a factory to produce the lithium-ion batteries required to power the electric cars. The plant will employ 1,300 people.

"Tennessee has become a national leader in driving clean energy innovation, and Nissan's commitment to build this advanced-technology battery facility here in Tennessee is a key part of that success," said Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen at the ground-breaking ceremony for the battery plant. "Nissan's investment in Tennessee began more than two decades ago, and this new manufacturing plant leads the way to the next generation of automotive and clean energy jobs in the Volunteer state."

Preparations are well underway in and around Nashville to support drivers of the Leaf, as well as other electric cars like the Chevy Volt. The first public charging station in the state was installed in an eco-friendly parking lot in Pulaski last year.

Since then, more than a dozen Nissan dealers in the region have installed electric car charging stations to service the Leafs that they sell.

Drivers who want to go green by experiencing an electric car before they make a buying decision can now rent a Nissan Leaf from Enterprise Rent A Car locations in Nashville and Knoxville.

Knoxville

In Knoxville, they're even going greener when it comes to charging stations. In conjunction with the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Electric Power Research Institute has installed sustainable charging stations that run on solar power.

The station can accommodate up to six electric cars at a time, and actually returns any excess power to the electric grid when the station is not in use. A similar charging station is being installed at the nearby Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and there are plans to build 125 of the solar-powered charging stations across the state.

A separate initiative, the federally-funded EV Project will pay for the installation of a dozen or more city-owned electric car charging stations around Knoxville as well.

"We have this unique position to be cutting edge without having to spend the money to be cutting edge," says Susanna Sutherland, the city's sustainability program manager.

Memphis

Memphis was not among the Tennessee cities originally tapped for federally-funded electric car charging stations through the EV Project. But city officials saw to it that those plans changed.

"You're looking at economic development and renewable energy opportunities," said Memphis City Councilman Edmund Ford Jr.

The Memphis Light, Gas and water division will oversee the installation of at least 10 electric car charging stations in the city this year, and they'll be paid for using federal stimulus funds.

The Peabody Hotel has already announced that charging stations for four eco-friendly electric cars will be installed at the hotel.

"It's not a question of if; it's how fast we're going to see reliance on electric vehicles," says Memphis Mayor A C Wharton.

Statewide

One of the most ambitious plans to go green in support of the electric car industry comes from the Cracker Barrel chain of family restaurants. In late 2010, the company announced that it would partner with the EV Project to install 24 electric car charging stations at restaurant locations in Tennessee. The plan is to connect the state's major cities - from Knoxville to Memphis - and many towns in between.

"Cracker Barrel was founded along the interstate highways with the traveler in mind and has always anticipated what our guests might want and need as they stop in for some good country cookin' and to experience genuine Southern hospitality," said Cracker Barrel Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael A. Woodhouse. "Becoming a leader in The EV Project continues our tradition of striving to anticipate and meet our guests' expectations. We expect our guests will be quite interested in seeing these charging stations when they stop in with us. We like to think that our guests will be pleased to see Cracker Barrel taking an active role in exploring energy alternatives that are aimed at protecting the environment as well as strengthening the economy."