Local leaders gathered Wednesday to celebrate the addition of a new electric vehicle charging station at Love’s Travel Stop in Smiths Station.
Local officials joined representatives from Love’s, a convenience store retailer with more than 600 locations nationwide, to cut a ceremonial ribbon at the EV charging station, which will provide easy charging for travelers on the U.S. 280 corridor between Interstate 85 and Columbus, Georgia.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs provided funding for the construction of the EV charging station through its EV infrastructure program, which pays for as much as 80 percent of a station’s construction through grant funding.
“It’s critically important to have easy, accessible and convenient charging on Alabama’s major highways, and that’s exactly what this charging station provides,” said Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition President Michael Staley, who served as emcee for the event in Smiths Station. “Thanks to developing an extremely popular competitive grant program, ADECA has brought together public and private partners, like Love’s, to make Alabama more welcoming for EV owners.”
ADECA’s state-funded program has resulted in a variety of partnerships, leading to the completion of dozens of EV charging stations, with more under construction. Earlier this year, Drive Electric Alabama celebrated the addition of an EV charging station in Orange Beach, just a few miles from the Gulf Coast’s beaches.
Construction of more EV charging stations helps businesses, Drive Electric said. An MIT study found that businesses within a mile of EV chargers experience a notable increase in customer traffic and spending. EV owners often spend money on other goods and services while charging, and every dollar spent positively impacts the local and state economy.
“It’s wonderful that ADECA and Love’s can work together to bring this charging station to Smiths Station,” said Smiths Station Mayor Richard Cooley. “EV owners will have the convenience of charging right next to U.S. 280 and use Love’s as a one-stop convenience location to re-energize before getting back on the road.”
The number of EVs on American roads continues to grow, up to 4.1 million in 2024, an increase from 2 million in 2022 and 1.3 million in 2021, according to Experion Automotive. In the first six months of 2025, more than 600,000 all-electric cars were sold in the U.S. between January and June this year, a new record that reflects a 1.5 percent increase from the previous year, according to Kelley Blue Book.
“The number of EVs on the road continues to grow, and that’s why the number of public chargers is increasing throughout the state,” said ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell. “Not only is it good for EV owners to have a convenient place to charge, it’s also good for local communities because those owners eat at local restaurants, shop at local businesses, and contribute to the area’s economic prosperity while their vehicles are charging.”
