Even though there is a long way to go before electric vehicles are accepted by all motorists, there is no doubt that the Kansas City Power and Light company is putting Kansas City on the map. The company announced very interesting and very ambitious plans to install 1001 electric vehicle charging stations across the area which it serves. This is certainly a very interesting development at a time when advances in electric vehicle battery technology are hitting the headlines but consumers are still concerned about range anxiety.
Will this move make a difference?
As one executive put it “if you install the charging stations they will come” which just about sums it up. The $20 million “clean charging network” will consist of 1001 charging stations which will be able to charge two cars at the time. Not only will this encourage more electric vehicles in the region but it will also greatly help with charging at busy times of the day. The simple fact is that until somebody actually took the plunge and decided to install electric vehicle charging stations we would always be at the beck and call of electric vehicle battery technology.
EV infrastructure
Many people automatically assumed that the likes of California would be the first to introduce an electric vehicle infrastructure which would attract the masses. While there’s no doubt that the likes of California will still look down this particular avenue perhaps the move by Kansas City will speed up any plans that they had?
There are still many sceptics regarding electric vehicles but the fact remains that they are fast approaching mass-market recognition and we are most certainly past the point of no return. When you bear in mind companies such as Tesla have opened up their technology to competitors “for the good of the industry” this certainly shows where we are today.
EV Charging stations image via Shutterstock.
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