Good Foods Co-op, in partnership with Evolve KY and Fayette Electrical Service Inc, is proud to introduce Lexington’s latest electric vehicle charging station in the co-op parking lot, furthering their mission of sustainability and concern for community. The two charging plugs are available to EV drivers free of charge, offering another “power up” oasis in the city.
The Co-op hosted a press conference and ribbon-cutting for the new station on Tuesday, April 6, with many members of the media in attendance along with staff and board members from the Co-op and representatives from Evolve KY, Fayette Electical Service Inc, Bluegrass Greensource and Commerce Lexington.
The project was many years in the making and came to fruition as a joint venture with Evolve KY, an organization which helped find grant money to supplement the purchase of the station by the Co-op. Evolve KY is a volunteer group of energetic owners and enthusiasts of electric vehicles with the common desire to provide a place for EV enthusiasts to compare notes, increase the awareness of EVs by participating in community events and helping spread the adoption of EVs by increasing the number and variety of charging options in Kentucky.
While Evolve KY helped find a charger for the Co-op, Fayette Electrical Service Inc got it up and running, installing the station free of charge. Good Foods Co-op is offering complimentary charging (no payment needed) to all customers. The Clipper Creek high power electric vehicle charge station is capable of charging a variety of electric and hybrid vehicles (some vehicles may need adapters to plug in), and will “top off” the battery as EV owners shop and dine at the Co-op.
Good Foods Co-op’s general manager, Kat Luchtefeld, said the project was sparked by demand, as staff noticed more customers and owners choosing to drive EVs.
“Folks are increasingly recognizing the importance of transitioning to an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicles to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, and so, as the Co-op, it’s a perfect fit for us to be able to offer this as an opportunity for folks to more easily be able to charge their electric vehicles and help make those vehicles more accessible to a larger portion of the community,” said Luchtefeld at Tuesday’s ribbon-cutting.
Luchtefeld added that she hopes even more businesses and drivers will get on board with greener transportation solutions.
“From an environmental perspective I think it would be great to see more and more electric vehicles on the road, so the more demand that’s out there, the more we see folks meeting this sort of opportunity, I hope that we will be able to be right there alongside them, growing with the community and offering it more and more.”
The electric charging station is just the latest of the Co-op’s sustainability efforts. The store has been a proud member of the Green Check Lexington program since 2016, and achieved silver Green Check status in 2019.
