Tennessee officials spent $181,250 to put up three charging stations for electric cars at the Nashville International Airport. In five weeks, 29 cars have charged up, for a flat fee of $2 each, according to data provided by airport spokeswoman Shannon Sumrall.
At that rate, the charging stations will pay for themselves in something over 300 years.
The stations are at three paid parking spaces atop the airport’s short-term parking garage and are operated by the airport.
Nashville is not the only airport in Tennessee with electric car charging stations, although it is the only one not paid for with private funds.
The Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport has an electric charging station, paid for by Tesla, an electric car maker, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. According to Carstations,com, there are currently 362 electric car charging stations throughout Tennessee, mostly operated by private entities, such as Nissan and Chevrolet, both of whom produced their electric vehicles. Airports in Memphis and Knoxville do not have electric car charging stations.
Electric car charging stations at one Cracker Barrel restaurant in Nashville and another at Memphis’ famed Peabody Hotel are availble for use at no cost for customers, said representatives of both establishments.
Nashville’s airport has one quick charger, which can charge a car in fewer than 30 minutes, and two normal chargers, which each could take as long as six hours to charge. (continue reading)