WYTHEVILLE, VA - Evatran, a manufacturer of electric vehicle supply equipment, said it will receive a $1.25 million grant awarded by Wythe County's Joint Industrial Development Authority. 

The grant will support research leading to the commercialization of Evatran's Plugless Power charging technology for electric vehicles. The grant from the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization is one of three approved under a new R&D initiative to spur development leading to green jobs and investment for southwest and southern Virginia.

Evatran manufactures Plugless Power, a hands-free charging system for electric vehicles. Using a dual-component system based on inductive technology, Evatran's Plugless Power streamlines the process of charging electric vehicles by eliminating the nuisance of the cord and the plug, the company said. Evatran's customers are manufacturers, dealers and drivers of electric or extended-range hybrid vehicles. Other customers using Plugless Power may include corporations, municipal governments, utilities, residential developers, homebuilders, retailers and small businesses.