By Morgan Taylor, Reporter
OKMULGEE, OKlahoma – The Muscogee (Creek) Nation is in the process of building an electric vehicle (EV) charging station located on the complex right off Highway 52, the Loop.
According to MCN Environmental Services Director James Williams, the funding for this came from a grant from Volkswagen to promote the use of electric vehicles.
“This is made possible by the Volkswagen settlement for the tribes and part of this agreement was that we put in an electric charging station,” Williams said. “We plan on putting two more charging stations but we are just not sure of the locations just yet.”
The hopes are to promote the use of electric by the tribe, tribal citizens, and the community in general.
“We are looking to provide electric vehicle charging to employees and those who visit the complex,” Williams said. “We know that electric cars are the wave of the future and we actually have two or three here at the complex.”
The service will be free for MCN citizens and employees.
“Electric cars are becoming more affordable,” Williams said. “There is no gas or motor and the only thing you have to change is probably just your tires. They are pretty low maintenance and very efficient. They just need to be charged and can go for about 300 or 400 miles and just charge it back up.”
The MCN Environmental Services currently owns a Nissan Leaf that is a few years old and cost roughly $20,000 new according to Williams.
“We have been trying to promote this at the tribe for a number of years and I think it’s finally going to take off,” Williams said. “We are expecting this project to be done by early November.”
For more information regarding the EV charging station, feel free to contact MCN Environmental Service Department at 918-549-2580.
