LAS VEGAS—MGM Resorts International this week debuted the company’s first electric vehicle charging station and the first such facility on the Las Vegas Strip for environmentally conscious consumers driving the cleanest, most advanced vehicles on the road.
This new charging station is located at the valet entrance to The Shoppes at Mandalay Place, between Mandalay Bay and Luxor resorts. Charging service is available free of charge to retail and resort customers driving personal electric vehicles, like the Nissan LEAF and the Chevy Volt.
“This is a tremendous first for The Shoppes and our customers,” said Brian Robison, vice president and general manager of The Shoppes at Mandalay Place. “We all share in our commitment to environmental sustainability. To have the first public electric car charging station on the Strip is an honor for us and a convenience for our like-minded customers. We hope they get a real ‘charge’ out of shopping with us.”
Easy-to-Use PEP Station
To take advantage of this new amenity, drivers simply pull into one of the two specially designated parking spaces reserved exclusively for personal electric vehicles and plug into the easy-to-use PEP Station to charge their vehicle. Each station has a touch-screen interface that guides users through steps to safely charge their electric vehicle.
Two representatives of the sustainability world were on hand to mark the occasion and assist with a debut of the charging facility: chef Rick Moonen, best-selling author and one of the world’s leading advocates for the use of sustainable seafood in the food industry; and a Nissan LEAF, one of the most sought-after vehicles on the road today and, according to USA Today, the top-selling electric vehicle in the United States for the first six months of 2011.
“I couldn’t be more proud that Mandalay Place is first with this forward-thinking program,” said chef Moonen. “Someone has to take the leadership role and I’m happy MGM Resorts is willing to move toward a better way of doing things.”
Chef Moonen, known for his appearances on national television programs like Bravo’s “Top Chef,” also operates the two seafood restaurants inside The Shoppes at Mandalay Place.
Important First Step
MGM Resorts energy experts say this is an important first step that reflects the company’s continued commitment to environmental responsibility in the hospitality industry.
“Consumer demand for this type of equipment is just in its earliest stages, but like anything new, its growth must be fostered by those who believe in it most,” said Cindy Ortega, MGM Resorts senior vice president of Energy and Environmental Services. “Now is the most important time for companies like MGM Resorts to show our support, so others—consumers, car manufacturers and rental car agencies—feel comfortable enough to enter this important emerging market.”
Go to MGM Resorts International.
