Tennessee Tech unveils first electric bus to serve a rural area in Tennessee

Public transportation in Cookeville is going electric.

Tennessee Tech engineers teamed up with the Upper Cumberland Human Resources Agency on a new, electric shuttle bus that's been three years in the making.

"It is the very first electric shuttle bus in rural transit agency in Tennessee and we're proud to make that happen," said Tennessee Tech Engineering Assoc. Professor Dr. Pingen Chen.

The shuttle is the latest push from Tech engineers and researchers to change perceptions about electric vehicles. While EVs are becoming more popular in urban areas, they're still rare in rural communities. Dr. Chen says a lot of that has to do with a lack of familiarity with the vehicles, as the spread of information can take longer to reach far-out areas.

But he says rural residents log a lot of miles and could benefit from skipping all those trips to the gas pump and the maintenance from wear and tear.