June 28, 2021 Home
Electric leaf blowers, lawn movers, hand tools. Electric cars and light trucks. Battery-powered equipment is a fast growing piece of the American economy. Ford has produced an all electric F-150, its most popular model. These will go on the market for 2022. Tennessee has its first all electric school bus, operating in Johnson City. Knoxville is purchasing an additional dozen all electric buses for its transit system.
Switching from gasoline or diesel fuel to electric has both economic and health benefits. The electric cooperative directly benefits from this shift, as your local cooperative – rather than fossil fuel companies – provides power for electric equipment and vehicles. Electric cooperatives are the backbone upon which the local economy builds, with gained income remaining here, rather than in the pockets of those who control the large out of state fossil fuel companies.
So, what’s going on in Tennessee with electric vehicles (EVs)? There are a growing number of industries producing vehicles or parts for these vehicles. Local governments and business are purchasing more and more electric vehicles. The system of electric charging stations is growing at a rapid pace.
Here are just a few examples of factories at work or opening soon. Nissan has been producing the all electric LEAF at its plant in Smyrna since 2013. Close to 200,000 vehicles, available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, have been sold.
Volkswagen began building an EV production factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 2019. The $800 million facility will manufacture electric cars, with the first cars scheduled to roll off the line in 2022. The new factory will add about 1,000 new jobs to the local economy. The first vehicle to be built will be an SUV model.
GM is winding down assembly of gas-powered utility vehicles and engines in Spring Hill to make way for a $2-billion retooling and expansion to convert the former home of Saturn to making Cadillac’s Lyriq EV and the battery cells to support these vehicles. This will bring 1,300 new jobs to the area.
In March Memphis and Shelby County announced that Mullen Technologies will open a start up electric car plant. Mullen Technologies plans to spend $362 million to renovate an existing building and create 430 jobs with an average salary of $53,000. The first vehicle will be marketed in 2024.
An electric car battery manufacturing company will invest $220 million in a plant in Clarksville that will create 280 new jobs. The state Department of Economic and Community Development announced this month that Microvast plans to renovate and expand a Clarksville facility to build battery cells, modules and packs. Microvast opened its first Lithium ion battery facility in 2019 at the request of the U.S. Department of Energy.
Next article will address the issue of charging stations and Tennessee’s plans to expand the number of charging stations on interstate highways.
Everyone needs to learn more about our electric cooperative. For more information, go to
pve.coop.