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Electric vehicles (EVs) are promising solutions for rural mobility due to lower fuel and maintenance costs. Rural areas and associated rural clusters in the United States are facing numerous challenges in adopting EVs and developing EV charging station networks due to low population density, lack of EV charging infrastructure, limited-to-no EV experience, and low consumer awareness. The objective of this project is to develop a rural EV testbed to demonstrate and evaluate the applications of EVs over a diverse range of activities, serving the rural and largely economically distressed Upper Cumberland region in Tennessee. This helps potential fleet owners and the public at large make informed decisions about EV adoption before making significant financial investments. This project serves as a proof-of-concept implementation to support knowledge gaining and transfer as well as outreach and education on EVs for rural applications. It also complements DOE's existing EV dataset with detailed EV operation and use data dedicated specifically to the challenges and needs associated with rural communities.

For more information on this project, check the Technology Integration 2020 Annual Report or Annual Merit Review presentation.