This car isn’t just parked – it is topping off its battery.

The spot is home to one of Montgomery’s first electric vehicle charging stations. This particular equipment is part of a pilot program between the City of Montgomery and Alabama Power, to determine the real impact electric vehicles would have.

While Alabama Power did contribute to the project, the purchase and installation of the equipment was handled by the city. The goal is to see what patterns of behavior emerge:

• When do people “plug in?”
• How long do they remain to charge?
• How much electricity do these batteries pull in?

Alabama Power hopes to learn more about the impact of electric vehicles as they become more popular. The company currently offers a special rate for customers with plug-in electric vehicles, allowing them to get a discounted rate for power used overnight when their cars are charging.