The Council is pleased to announce that the US Department of Energy has officially designated the Land-of-Sky Clean Vehicles Coalition as the 86th Clean Cities Coalition in the nation. (See our photo gallery!)
Station Locator
Find alternative fueling stations in your area. Click here.
Alternative Fuel Accident Training
Training for first responders to deal with alternative fuel vehicle accidents.
On Thursday, September 22, Richard Louv, author of nine books about the connections between family, nature and community including Last Child in the Woods, The Nature Principle, and, most recently, Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to a Nature Rich Life, will speak at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain. The title of his talk is “The Hybrid Mind: The more high-tech our lives become, the more nature we need.” The event will be held at 7:00 pm in the Washburn Center. The program will also include a question and answer session followed by a book signing. Vitamin N, his latest book, will be available for purchase at the event.
Please join the Land-of-Sky Regional Council's Clean Vehicles Coalition Electric Vehicle Committee on September 9th for two DC Fast Charger ribbon cutting ceremonies and a committee meeting.
11:30am – DC Fast Charger Ribbon Cutting at the Asheville Outlets (at the 2 new DCFCs installed by Brightfield TS in back of mall).
12:30pm – DC Fast Charger Ribbon Cutting at the Biltmore Park Town Square (at the DCFC installed by BTS across the street from the Hilton Hotel in the small parking lot).
1:00-3:00 pm – LOS Clean Vehicles Coalition EV Committee Meeting in the Hilton Hotel. All interested are invited!
BREVARD – Brevard College has teamed up with Tesla Motors to provide an increasingly desirable amenity to the Brevard community: Tesla Destination Charging. The College will unveil one of its two Tesla Electric Vehicle charging stations on Monday, Oct. 26, at 11:30 a.m. at its official ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Photo (L-R): BC Geology Professor Jim Reynolds, Bob Harris - Black Bear Solar Institute, SGA President Steve Olson, Brevard resident and EV owner Jim Hardy, and VP of Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty Scott Sheffield conduct official ribbon-cutting.
Brevard College is now the first College or University in the U.S. to offer Tesla High-Speed High-Power Wall Connector and standard J1772 units for free public-access Electric Vehicle charging and is the first location in Transylvania County to offer EV charging stations. Tesla High Power Wall Connectors add 58 miles of range per hour to Model S, charging the vehicle overnight and replicating the convenience Tesla owners are accustomed to at home.
GRSM Becomes First National Park to Install Public Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Equipment
Gatlinburg, TN – On September 30, 2015, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) held not one but two ribbon-cutting ceremonies to unveil over 10 new pieces of alternative fuel equipment. The events were held at Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee in North Carolina and at Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg in Tennessee.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015 9:30 a.m. at Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, NC 1:30 p.m. at Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg, TN
Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) will host two ribbon-cutting ceremonies to unveil new pieces of alternative fuel equipment. Propane mowers, neighborhood electric vehicles, and new charging stations will be available for viewing along with a fast-charge demonstration with a Nissan Leaf vehicle and a Tesla Model S vehicle. The Smokies are the first unit in the National Park Service to install and operate public DC fast-charging stations.
The event is open to all media outlets and the public.
PSNC Energy and Duke Energy have joined us in the work to get the word out about clean vehicles! Everyone at the Land-of-Sky Clean Vehicles Coalition thanks them for their generous support.
If your organization is interested in becoming a sponsor of the Coalition, join us today!
The Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center
Alternative Fuels Station Locator
Fuel Economy and Vehicle Comparisons
Fuel Fact of the Week
Fact #990: Comparison of Vehicle Efficiencies Using the Air Conditioner versus Windows Down
There has been much debate about whether it is more fuel efficient to use the air conditioner or lower the windows on a hot car. With the air conditioner running on 50% duty cycle, more fuel was used on a 2009 Toyota Corolla up to 60 mph, but at higher speeds, having the windows down uses more fuel due to increased drag. On a 2009 Ford Explorer SUV, which has different aerodynamics than the Corolla, the air conditioner at 50% duty cycle used more fuel until speeds reached nearly 80 mph. Using the air conditioner at 100% duty cycle in the SUV resulted in greater fuel consumption than having the windows down at all tested speeds.
How is fuel economy determined and reported for alternative fuel vehicles?
Last month we learned about how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determines and reports conventional light-duty vehicle fuel economy ratings. While alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) fuel economy testing is largely similar to that of conventional fuels, the EPA makes some adjustments to account for different vehicle technology and fuel energy content. By tailoring AFV fuel economy testing and reporting, the EPA is able to provide apples-to-apples comparisons and allow consumers to make informed decisions.
Monday, September 12, 2016 - 10:46:23 
