Electric vehicle chargers to be installed at S.C. state parks
South Carolina is installing electric vehicle at state parks.
PROSPERITY, S.C. (WOLO) – South Carolina is installing electric vehicle chargers at state parks. Lt. Governor Pamela Evette and other state leaders made the announcement today at Dreher Island State Park.
Electric vehicle chargers will be installed at 30 state parks by the end of 2023 and the first chargers were unveiled at Dreher Island. The efforts is an initiative that is supported by the electric vehicle maker Rivian and the S.C. Energy Office. The chargers will work with all electric vehicles and are free for the public to use. State leaders are explaining why these are needed in parks.
“To show our stewardship of what we mean to the environment by having electric charging stations, number two to get people to stop in a state park that might not otherwise because of that range they need to recharge and go somewhere else, and number three is for our visitors who come to state parks this is something else we show as another service and amenity for them,” says Duane Parrish who is the Director of S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism.
Rivian will be covering the cost of the charger installations and repairs. The company is filling an unmet need for chargers in state parks and says across the U.S. 30 percent of vehicle miles traveled are in rural areas like Dreher Island.
“There is a long way to go but the investment is worth it because the data is already showing that electric vehicle accessible routes and amenities are bring tourism to communities across the U.S.,“ says James Chen who is the Vice President of Public Policy for Rivian.
Lt. Governor Evette says South Carolina is leading the way with the governor prioritizing and recruiting electrical business in S.C. “We had the first vehicle summit hosted by the governor here in South Carolina only to be followed by BMW with its $1.7 billion investment, and now in Florence just last week unveiling another battery company coming here to South Carolina, and now toping it off with this wonderful unveiling.”
Lt. Governor Evette also says automotive and electrical vehicle industries are bringing job opportunities to the state. “We want to make sure as we always do that we are creating the workforce of tomorrow, so working and partnering with our technical colleges to make sure we are training the workforce that they need. This is why South Carolina has been such a powerhouse not just here across our nation but across the globe – because we have thought ahead and thought of the new industries that are coming in.”
