Starkville is planning to add additional charging units for electric vehicles

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- Gas prices are soaring and there are only a handful of options to stop paying those fuel prices. Walking or riding a bike could be on way, or buy an electric vehicle and trade the pump for the plug. More people are taking that option, the city of Starkville is stepping in to help them power up. Starkville is looking to add a couple of new charging stations throughout the town as electric vehicles are becoming more popular. “I think the technology is really advancing rapidly and that people are starting to embrace that,” said Mayor Lynn Spruill. Starkville Utilities is partnering with the Tennessee Valley Authority to bring Electric Vehicle or EV fast-charging stations to town. The company has its own EV, and Mayor Lynn Spruill took it for a spin to get an understanding of how things will be working in the near future. “One of the things that we’re trying to do is be sensitive to the climate issues, sensitive to being sustainable with what we do. this is an option,” said Spruill. Spruill said that when students come back, some may have electric cars or trucks and as companies urge their customers to buy the vehicles; city officials and Starkville Utilities plan to be in the driver’s seat when more EV’s roll into town. “More and more of the companies are being forced to go that way or going that way voluntarily for the ability to offer multiple options to their customers and so we want to be a part of that and we want to help lead the way,” said Spruill. Starkville Utilities and the city haven’t made a final decision on locating the new charging stations, but they expect to have them up and running by 2022.