COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — After debuting the first fully electric bus to serve a rural area in the state, Tennessee Tech researchers are inviting the public to test drive electric sedans, SUVs and pickup trucks.
The Earth Day event is happening at the baseball field on campus, where there is an electric vehicle charging station, on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
According to the International Energy Agency, just 120,000 electric cars were sold worldwide in 2012. Fast forward a decade and more than that many were sold every week.
But much of the growth has been in larger city centers, leaving rural areas behind. This weekend's event is to help educate people in rural communities on the different options on the market.
Rural drivers log more miles to get to essential services. And researchers say the money saved by skipping the fuel and maintenance for gas-powered cars could be a game-changer for rural residents.
"Along the way, you can really protect the environment and battle climate change, there are a lot of benefits," said Tennessee Tech Assoc. Professor Dr. Pingen Chen. "(But) I think the cost savings is the top factor for a rural community to adopt an electric vehicle."
That is as long as an EV works for a driver's day-to-day routine. A recent study by the same group involved assigning rural drivers an electric vehicle for two weeks to see if it changed their perception of EVs. Chen says 90 percent of participants reported the experience made it more likely they would consider purchasing an electric vehicle in the future.
"They can actually see if the range if the environment...with an EV such as charging, such as lack of infrastructure in these rural areas is right for them," said Tennessee Tech Research Assistant Max Lamantia, "range numbers like '320 miles' can only get you so far. You have to know what it is for you on a personal level."
Anyone who wants to try out an electric vehicle or show off their own is invited to the event on Saturday. Click here for more information.
This weekend's test drives will remain near campus. But Lamantia says the 2-week program may return soon.
