A ribbon-cutting celebrating the installation of the first public electric vehicle charging station in Knoxville is set for 10 a.m., Thursday, July 14, at the Crowne Plaza Knoxville on Summit Hill Drive.

The downtown hotel has installed two wall-mounted, Blink Level II EVSE stations in its parking garage. The EVSE (electric vehicle supply equipment) will be available to Crowne Plaza guests and others who park in the garage.

The charging stations are the first of many units that will be installed at various locations in Knoxville as part of the EV Project, which is introducing Nissan LEAF and Chevy Volt electric vehicles in a handful of test markets across the United States.

The City of Knoxville is one of those test markets and the city, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TVA and the Knoxville Utilities Board are partners in the Tennessee region of the EV Project.

The EV Project is a partnership between ECOtality, Nissan North America and General Motors.

The charging stations at the Crowne Plaza are part of an agreement between ECOtality and the Crowne Plaza. The City of Knoxville will also be installing public charging stations in locations like city parks within the next several months.

More information about the project and the City of Knoxville's role is available at knoxvilletn.gov/sustainability or call 865-215-2065.