Photo by Bonnie Cranmer
Bonnie Cranmer
Contributing writer
There are five states in the Appalachian region that are participating in the Rural Reimagined program. Virginia Clean Cities is the statewide organization tasked with sharing the vehicles and the expansion of electric vehicle knowledge in Virginia. The challenge is to find both the benefits and challenges of using electric vehicles in rural areas.
The four vehicles available to borrow include the Ford F-150 Lightning, Chevy Bolt EUV, Ford Mustang Mach-e, and Voltswagon ID4. This is a multi-year program of the Department of Energy, and it has big goals.
As stated on their website, “This project aims to provide clean and affordable mobility options to the underserved communities by developing needed charging infrastructure, and adopting and demonstrating various cost-effective EVs in diverse applications. In addition, by partnering with a broad set of EV stakeholders, this project aims to create outreach, training and education opportunities to residents in rural and low-income Appalachian communities to kick-start electric vehicle adoption and clean-energy job opportunities where it is needed most.”
Driving an EV in a rural region of Virginia comes with challenges. Charging at home requires a convenient outlet with a safely installed 240-volt outlet like the NEMA 14-30, 14-50, 10-30, 10-50, and 6-50. Depending on the terrain, an electric car can travel between 20 to 30 miles for every hour of charging. For example, the Chevy Volt EUV has an estimated range of 240 miles in the city. The range can change dramatically with the up and down of mountain roads, use of heating and cooling seasonally and general road conditions.
There are currently no public EV charging stations in Craig County. The EVGo app has two sites in Roanoke and two in Blacksburg/Christiansburg for charging convenience, with both types of EV charging ability. Hotels and bed & breakfast lodging are including charging at their locations. Tesla charging stations are more readily available, with a collection in Blacksburg next to the IMAX theatre. The types of chargers will become more standard as new models are introduced.
One of the existing challenges of rural life is power, and to add more draw on a fragile system is concerning. Managing power outages with generators is a standard, but there’s new technology that adds options for solar power. GoSun is just one of the many solar power generation companies developing useful power systems for home and off-grid use. One of their recent technologies is a car rooftop charging system, which allows for charging the car’s EV battery, a hybrid battery or external backup battery.
Adding charging stations to Main Street shopping areas and walking districts will support the growth of the electric charging map. The equipment and maintenance are provided free, with 10% of the revenue provided to the host location. The program is encouraging local economic development and tourism areas to consider the impact EVs and their drivers can have. Contact Matthew Wade at mwade@vacleancities.org to learn more about the Rural Reimagined program with Virginia Clean Cities.
