Lake Martin has just gained a new place to charge your electric vehicles (EV) aka electric cars!

The new Patriot Fuel Center at 6507 AL Hwy 63 South, Alexander City, AL 35010 – is where you need to go for a quick boost of electricity. The new Fuel Center is located really close to Wind Creek State Park and also close to the North Lake and Kowaliga areas of Lake Martin.

Seeing these EV charging stations in my hometown was a really weird experience for me. I guess it is like that for you, too. When you get older it is more surprising to see changes happen where you have grown up. I find myself starting a lot of sentences with, “I remember when…” That’s about the time my kids tune me out.

But seriously, I can remember when there was not a legit place to get gas between Highway 280 in Alex City and “Spike’s” (I think it was maybe a Texaco) that was a couple of miles south of Kowaliga Bridge. Once you left “town” you had better have all the gas you need because refueling was sketchy. I am sure my parents must have bought gas at Spike’s but the only three things I remember about the place was it had a scary stuffed rattlesnake, a large, lazy German Shepard always laying in the doorframe, and they had Lik-M-Aid Fun Dip candy. My parents would buy my sisters and me some Fun Dip for the short rest of the ride to the cabin. We thought we were living right.

I had seen a lot of publicity around this new Patriot Fuel center, but mainly because it has a really cool Lake Martin themed mural that Charles Forbus painted. Here’s a link about it. I had no idea that it had EV chargers until I pulled in there the other day to get a close look at the mural.

Now maybe I can talk my wife into ordering the Tesla Cybertruck for my birthday. I am sure she was just worried I would not have anywhere to charge it when we are at Lake Martin. Or maybe she will make me wait on the all electric new Ford Bronco? I was driving a 1991 Ford Bronco when we met, so maybe I can lean on some nostalgia and get her to say yes on that one.

I have a feeling we will see more EV charging stations pop up around the lake. Personally, I agree with those that think the country has hit a critical mass of believers in the car industry.