http://66.225.205.104/CW20100701.mp3
South Carolina has some of the lowest gas prices in the country. But that's not stopping one organization from setting the stage for electric vehicles in South Carolina. They've made plans to install about 100 electric car charging stations in seven cities across the state. One of those cities is appropriately Greenville. Plug-In Carolina received nearly half a million dollars in federal and state grant money to help put charging stations in locations where vehicles tend to stay a while. James Poch, the Executive Director of Plug-In Carolina, explains how that works: "So these are things that might be best served where you got to work and you just kind of top off; where you go to a restaurant or a movie theater and again you kind of top off." In Greenville, that means downtown. They're expecting to approve eight charging stations by the end of the year. They'd each be able to accommodate two cars. Even though there aren't many electric vehicles on the market, Greenway and Sustainability Manager Brian Graham says that "The idea or the benefit is to get ahead of the curve, and be ready." Chevy plans to unveil its first electrical car, the Volt, next year. Toyota and Ford are also preparing to release their own versions. And once those vehicles hit the market, Greenville will have something other cities won't. One possible location is the city zoo, which could make a long distance trip possible in an electric vehicle. Brian Graham said, "You know someone coming in from North Carolina, or Tennessee or elsewhere in South Carolina coming to Greenville in their electric vehicle will have a place to charge up, and to enjoy our city." And if everything works out, the city might eventually replace their vehicle fleet with electric alternatives, which would make Greenville even more green. Plug-In Carolina plans to install the electric charging stations in six additional South Carolina cities: Charleston, Columbia, Spartanburg, Union, Myrtle Beach and nearby Rock Hill.