Good morning everyone. On behalf of myself, Stan Cross, and my BioWheels RTS (now Brightfield™ Transportation Solutions) partners Matt Johnson and Patrick Sherwin I welcome you. Thank you for coming. As residents of the greater Asheville community and as founders of Brightfield Transportation Solutions (BTS), Matt, Patrick and I are invested in building a sustainable and desirable future for our region: a future that enhances the ecological splendor of this landscape, that perpetuates the innovative spirit that defines this region, and that supports economic development that improves the quality of life for all.
We believe that we’ve settled for a world wrought with environmental, social and economic imbalance and injustice for too long. We’re done settling for the status quo because we know we can do better.
This first-of-its-kind Brightfield Charging Station behind me is a profound example of this community’s ability to move beyond the status quo, harness our innovative spirit and leverage our strength to lay the foundation for a sustainable and desirable future.
For the past three years BTS has worked to bring forth our vision to transition American transportation from oil dependency to solar driven.
We’re succeeding by working alongside ourcommunity—designing and deploying durable and intelligent Brightfield Charging Stations, which both provide solar power to the grid when the sun is shining and provide reliable electric vehicle charging 24 hours per day, everyday.
By integrating solar power and EV charging, we’re demonstrating how to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, create quality local jobs, and enhance the development of our regional clean energy cluster.
Today we celebrate the unveiling of North Carolina’s first solar power generating electric vehicle charging station, designed and manufactured right here in Asheville with materials made in America.
We have with us today at the podium and in the crowd many of the partners who have helped make this charging station, and the three other stations we are installing in Asheville, possible. It would take too long to name them all, so please visit our website to view the full partner list.
In a moment, I will introduce our distinguished guests here before you whose partnership from the beginning has made this effort a success. After they each address the audience, I will provide closing remarks and then take questions from the media. When Q&A is complete, we will all have the opportunity to interact with the Brightfield and the electric vehicles and their owners who have driven from as far away asKingsportTennesseeto be with us today.
Before I relinquish the podium, I want to convey some key points to keep in mind this morning:
This Brightfield Charging Station and the 3 other Brightfields going in around town are funded by a $376,000 grant made possible through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act with funds originating at the US Department of Energy and provided through the NC Department of Commerce’s Green Business Fund.
This Brightfield and the stations being installed at Land of Sky Regional Council of Governments and at the Reuters Center on the UNCA campus are examples of effective public/private partnership agreements negotiated between BioWheels RTS,AshevilleCity,BuncombeCountyand UNCA.
The Asheville Metro Area is forecasted to have 2000 electric vehicles on the road by the end of 2015. To support the fueling needs of these EVs, our community will need approximately 900 vehicle chargers installed strategically at accessible locations in addition to chargers at vehicle owners’ homes.
To fuel those 2000 EVs with sunshine, we will need to install approximately 5.5 megawatts of new solar power capacity.
If we fast forward to December 11, 2015, with 900 public EV chargers and 5.5 MW of solar installed, we will have created approximately 1,500 quality local jobs, reduced our regional use of imported oil by 43,000 barrels, kept over $2 million fuel dollars in our local economy, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 8000 tons, all of which support the region’s economic development goals.
Moving forward, BTS is preparing to launch the next phase of our vision, which is to make Asheville America’s first EV travel destination where tourists come to drive electric vehicles fueled with sunshine.
Asheville is well positioned to become the nation’s first EV travel destination. The region has successfully branded itself as a dynamic place to visit that is welcoming, vibrant and natural. The tag line “Anyway you like it” speaks to the freedom the Asheville experience offers visitors. BTS seeks to build on this brand identity by offering visitors the ultimate in natural freedom—to drive our mountains fueled on sunshine.
We are cultivating partnerships with destination sites ranging from the Blue Ridge Parkwayto Biltmore Estate to the River Arts District and with hotels such as the Grove Park Inn, The Grand Bohemian and Hotel Indigo. We will Partner with U-Save Car Rental to submit a Tourism Product Development Fund grant, in which we will request funds to procure a rental fleet of electric vehicles, and to install a variety of Brightfield charging solutions at travel destinations and hotels.
By doing so, BTS will revolutionize the green tourism experience and further support Asheville’s Destination Brand by welcoming and inspiring visitors to experience what Solar Driven™ is all about.
Good morning everyone. On behalf of myself, Stan Cross, and my BioWheels RTS (now Brightfield™ Transportation Solutions) partners Matt Johnson and Patrick Sherwin I welcome you. Thank you for coming. As residents of the greater Asheville community and as founders of Brightfield Transportation Solutions (BTS), Matt, Patrick and I are invested in building a sustainable and desirable future for our region: a future that enhances the ecological splendor of this landscape, that perpetuates the innovative spirit that defines this region, and that supports economic development that improves the quality of life for all.
We believe that we’ve settled for a world wrought with environmental, social and economic imbalance and injustice for too long. We’re done settling for the status quo because we know we can do better.
This first-of-its-kind Brightfield Charging Station behind me is a profound example of this community’s ability to move beyond the status quo, harness our innovative spirit and leverage our strength to lay the foundation for a sustainable and desirable future.
For the past three years BTS has worked to bring forth our vision to transition American transportation from oil dependency to solar driven.
We’re succeeding by working alongside our community—designing and deploying durable and intelligent Brightfield Charging Stations, which both provide solar power to the grid when the sun is shining and provide reliable electric vehicle charging 24 hours per day, everyday.
By integrating solar power and EV charging, we’re demonstrating how to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, create quality local jobs, and enhance the development of our regional clean energy cluster.
Today we celebrate the unveiling of North Carolina’s first solar power generating electric vehicle charging station, designed and manufactured right here in Asheville with materials made in America.
We have with us today at the podium and in the crowd many of the partners who have helped make this charging station, and the three other stations we are installing in Asheville, possible. It would take too long to name them all, so please visit our website to view the full partner list.
In a moment, I will introduce our distinguished guests here before you whose partnership from the beginning has made this effort a success. After they each address the audience, I will provide closing remarks and then take questions from the media. When Q&A is complete, we will all have the opportunity to interact with the Brightfield and the electric vehicles and their owners who have driven from as far away asKingsportTennesseeto be with us today.
Before I relinquish the podium, I want to convey some key points to keep in mind this morning:
This Brightfield Charging Station and the 3 other Brightfields going in around town are funded by a $376,000 grant made possible through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act with funds originating at the US Department of Energy and provided through the NC Department of Commerce’s Green Business Fund.
This Brightfield and the stations being installed at Land of Sky Regional Council of Governments and at the Reuters Center on the UNCA campus are examples of effective public/private partnership agreements negotiated between BioWheels RTS,AshevilleCity,BuncombeCountyand UNCA.
The Asheville Metro Area is forecasted to have 2000 electric vehicles on the road by the end of 2015. To support the fueling needs of these EVs, our community will need approximately 900 vehicle chargers installed strategically at accessible locations in addition to chargers at vehicle owners’ homes.
To fuel those 2000 EVs with sunshine, we will need to install approximately 5.5 megawatts of new solar power capacity.
If we fast forward to December 11, 2015, with 900 public EV chargers and 5.5 MW of solar installed, we will have created approximately 1,500 quality local jobs, reduced our regional use of imported oil by 43,000 barrels, kept over $2 million fuel dollars in our local economy, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 8000 tons, all of which support the region’s economic development goals.
Moving forward, BTS is preparing to launch the next phase of our vision, which is to make Asheville America’s first EV travel destination where tourists come to drive electric vehicles fueled with sunshine.
Asheville is well positioned to become the nation’s first EV travel destination. The region has successfully branded itself as a dynamic place to visit that is welcoming, vibrant and natural. The tag line “Anyway you like it” speaks to the freedom the Asheville experience offers visitors. BTS seeks to build on this brand identity by offering visitors the ultimate in natural freedom—to drive our mountains fueled on sunshine.
We are cultivating partnerships with destination sites ranging from the Blue Ridge Parkwayto Biltmore Estate to the River Arts District and with hotels such as the Grove Park Inn, The Grand Bohemian and Hotel Indigo. We will Partner with U-Save Car Rental to submit a Tourism Product Development Fund grant, in which we will request funds to procure a rental fleet of electric vehicles, and to install a variety of Brightfield charging solutions at travel destinations and hotels.
By doing so, BTS will revolutionize the green tourism experience and further support Asheville’s Destination Brand by welcoming and inspiring visitors to experience what Solar Driven™ is all about.