LUCEDALE, Miss. — Drivers in George County now have a new place to charge an electric vehicle without leaving town.
A charging station has opened at the Singing River Federal Credit Union branch on Old Highway 63 and Scott Road in Lucedale. The AC Level 2 unit can power two vehicles at the same time, and the credit union is offering use of it at no cost to drivers.
The station is supported by Singing River Federal Credit Union and Electric Cooperative, the wholesale power provider for Singing River Electric and more than a dozen other electric cooperatives across the state.
‘We are working with our 11 member systems trying to put charging in areas that can help draw business to town,’ said Sara Peterson, corporate communications manager for Electric Cooperative. ‘This is an opportunity to bring people into these rural areas and really get to experience the communities that we serve.’
One hour of charging on the unit can add an estimated 10 to 20 miles of range. Until now, the nearest charging stations to Lucedale were in Mobile, Moss Point and Wiggins, according to the credit union.
The local project comes as Mississippi prepares to expand EV infrastructure more broadly. The state is set to receive about $50 million in federal funding over five years to build out an alternative fuel corridor, though planners have warned that equipment shortages could slow construction. The investment is part of a national effort to place charging stations roughly every 50 miles along interstate highways.
‘We just see it as a good service that is needed now but is going to be needed much more in the future,’ Peterson said.