A technological advancement is coming to Alabama’s college town of Montevallo. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held to welcome a new electric vehicle charging station.

Mayor Rusty Nix hosted a ribbon ceremony Thursday to welcome the first of two locations, across from City Hall.

The city is enthusiastic for what comes next because of this new feature.

“We are excited to announce a convenient and safe place for electric vehicle charging in our historic business district for local residents and visitors,” Nix said.

Level 2 chargers provide between 3 and 20 kilowatts of power and take about 5 hours to charge an EV battery enough to cover 124 miles, according to Alabama’s state electric vehicle initiative.

The Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition grant, sponsored by Alabama Partners for Clean Air, helped finance the construction of the EV charging station.

Village on Valley, a collection of businesses situated at 1205 Ashville Road in Montevallo, will open a second site soon. The University of Montevallo campus already has an EV charging station.

The Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition was established in 2002 as a non-profit organization to work towards a greener future. The U.S. Department of Energy recognized the ACFC as part of its Clean Cities program in 2009.

This national network, in place in more than 100 cities, brings together public and private sector players to develop fuel-economy improvements, idle-reduction strategies, renewable fuels and developing transportation technology.

Drive Electric Alabama encourages the use of electric vehicles throughout the state. These cars have the potential to generate thousands of new jobs, save money and improve everyone’s quality of life, according to the group.