Electric car owners can now charge up at Birmingham’s Uptown
Tesla charging stations at Birmingham's Uptown allows electric vehicle drivers to recharge. (Phil Free / Alabama NewsCenter)
Electric car owners can now power up while grabbing a bite to eat at Uptown at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex.
Eight Tesla charging stations have been installed in the parking lot behind Mugshots and Your Pie restaurants, on 23rd Street North. The chargers are free for Tesla owners to use 24 hours a day.
BJCC Executive Director Tad Snider said Uptown is the ideal spot for a downtown charging site considering it is at the intersection of four major interstates.
“It makes sense to locate stations at Uptown, where motorists have easy access to the metro’s major interstates,” Snider said. “It also gives electric car owners the opportunity to enjoy food and drinks at one of Uptown’s seven restaurants while their vehicle gets recharged.”
The charging stations were installed as the result of an agreement between Tesla Motors and the BJCC with support from Alabama Power.
“Alabama Power has supported the expansion of emission-free electric vehicles for many years, where it makes sense for our customers,” said Alabama Power Market Specialist Robin White. “We’re excited to work with the BJCC and Tesla to further expand access to electric vehicle charging in the Birmingham area.”
White said electric vehicle technology is becoming more widely adopted by auto manufacturers and drivers, with over 470,000 plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) sold worldwide, 34 new PEVs entering the market and Tesla’s sales projection of 500,000 vehicles by 2018.
This is the fourth Tesla charging station installed in Alabama, with locations in Auburn, Mobile and Greenville coming on line over the past two years.
Alabama Power’s electric transportation efforts
The company has been a consistent supporter of electric transportation for over 20 years, advising residential, commercial and industrial customers on its benefits.
In May 2016, the Birmingham Airport Authority announced a project to install 27 electric charging stations to support ground-service equipment at the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. The project was a partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Alabama Power.
To accommodate its growing electric vehicle fleet, Alabama Power has installed more than 75 charging stations at company locations across the state.
The company offers a discount to residential customers on their electricity during overnight hours, when their electric vehicles are typically charged. Commercial customers that install electric vehicle charging stations can receive a partial rebate on station installation costs.
