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Get behind the wheel and buckle up for Tampa Bay’s National Drive Electric Week 2016

National Drive Electric Week LogoThe city of Oldsmar is celebrating National Drive Electric Week 2016 (Sept. 10-18) with a plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) rally and driving tour starting at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17 at the Dunkin’ Donuts, 3720 Tampa Rd. Get more details on the Oldsmar event.  Here’s the latest on what Tampa Electric is doing to help support the adoption of PEVs.

More charging stations

Plug-In Charging at TECO PlazaJust last month, Tampa Electric installed an additional charging station at TECO Plaza, allowing up to six fleet or employee-owned EVs to charge at one time. However, TECO Plaza isn’t the only place to find a charging station.

“We have 36 charging ports available at Tampa Electric facilities across West Central Florida,” said Kenneth Hernandez, program manager for the company’s alternative fuel vehicle initiatives. “We have plans to install an additional six ports in the coming year. All our charging stations are available for plug-in electric fleet vehicles and for employees that participate in Tampa Electric’s Workplace Charging program.”

A charging station with two ports is available to visitors at Tampa Electric’s Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach (open and free to the public Nov. 1 – 15).

Adding PEVs to TECO’s Green Fleet

2016 Extended-Range Chevy Volt
2016 Extended-Range Chevy Volt

In 2011, when PEVs were just started to arrive at dealerships, Tampa Electric added 16 extended-range plug-in electric Chevy Volts and three all-electric Nissan Leafs to its fleet. The PEVs are used by the company’s energy analysts who perform free Home Energy Audits at customers’ homes, meter technicians and other departments throughout the company. Later, the company purchased 22 PEV battery bucket trouble trucks and three PEV, full-size Chevy pickup trucks modified by VIA motors. Just last month, the company added a 2016 Chevy Volt – General Motor’s second-generation Volt – to the company’s Green Fleet.

An overview of our commitment

DOE Best Drive EVer logoTECO has been supporting the advancement of PEV technology and infrastructure development since 2009, when the company first made a pledge to the Edison Electric Institute (EEI). Today, the company works closely with the Tampa Bay Clean Cities Coalition and Drive Electric Florida to help educate the public about the benefits of PEVs and supports the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Workplace Charging initiative by offering access to plug-in vehicle chargers for team members – so they can charge their own electric vehicles while at work. Tampa Electric is currently promoting the DOE’s “Best Drive EVer” campaign that’s helping create awareness among the public about the benefit of driving a PEV. Learn more about TECO’s commitment to PEVs.

For more about the types of PEVs available on the market, charging options, where to locate public charging stations and much more, visit tampaelectric.com/ev.

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