The Bean Path in Jackson, Miss., wrapped its second annual AI Month in June with the dual draw of its first Electric Vehicle (EV) show and a Family STEAM Day, countering summer heat with cool science, technology, engineering, art and math-related fun at the Bean Barn, the second building in the Bean Path’s Tech District development.
The nonprofit dedicated to bridging the tech and digital divide in Mississippi focused on AI’s real world impact with talks, virtual sessions, classes and hands-on workshops throughout the month. At this closing event, a suite of eight vehicles parked outside offered a low-key intro to the breadth of EV possibilities.
Bean Path founder and CEO Nashlie Sephus brought her own 2023 Rivian R1T all-electric pickup to the show-and-tell, pointing out features like the Gear Tunnel where she can stash groceries, a flashlight and speaker that can pop out, a spacious front truck, an air compressor on the back, and plugs and outlets all around.
“I’m a truck girl,” said Sephus, a principal AI scientist at Amazon Web Services, and also a gardener and a frequent traveler between her Atlanta office and native Jackson. An EV that can haul stuff, make the distance on one charge and work nicely for daily use ticked the boxes.
She highlighted AI features, too, such as Amazon Alexa, automatic raising or lowering depending on terrain, navigation aid (helpful with Atlanta traffic, she said) and automatic battery cooldown if it anticipates a stop to charge.
So, it does the thinking for you? “It tries to,” she said. “That’s what AI is supposed to do.”
In a state rating among the lowest for EV registrations, the show was a chance to chat candidly with dealership reps and private owners, get a closer look and get pictures, too.
Jaden Luckett checks out the interior of the sleek Porsche Taycan during The Bean Path’s EV show and Family STEAM Day. Credit: Sherry LucasJaden Luckett, 25, was all smiles for photos, sitting behind the wheel of a Porsche Taycan brought by Porsche Jackson. Trying it on for size, he happily reported a good fit and pictured his 1-year-old, Jakari, in the back seat. Could he see one of these in his driveway someday?
“First, I got to get a driveway,” he joked. But, this opened his mind to possibilities.
Porsche Jackson General Sales Manager Lewis BeCoats said, “This helps us help the community, to show what we have and then get other people exposed to fully electric vehicles, and the advantage they have in your life once you accept them in.” He brought the Taycan and Macan EV, and zoomed through a quick list of benefits, including the absence of oil and filter changes.
Range anxiety and charging opportunities were hot topics for questions. Travelers want to be able to fill up and drive all the way to their destination, BeCoats said, but “there’s not many cars that do that on gas.”
Rest stops are also a good time to recharge the EV. “As long as you plan, it’s the perfect vehicle.” People are often quick to embrace the quiet, smooth ride and performance, he said. And, “for those who are green leaf people, it doesn’t put any emissions into the atmosphere.”
Mart Shearer of Jackson, a club member of EV Mississippi, brought his BMW i3 to The Bean Path’s EV show, sharing insights with attendees. Credit: Sherry LucasMart Shearer’s “Use Lightning, Not Dinosaurs” T-shirt fit the occasion as he leaned against his small blue 2017 BMW i3 (his second EV) and talked up its suitability for an urban commuter. Fuel efficiency and gas savings started him on this road back in 2003 with a Toyota Prius Hybrid, and he had been looking at EVs since 2012. When an electric smart car turned up at the Mercedes dealer in 2019, he drove up for a look. It didn’t have much charge, they told him, but a turn around the lot was all it took.
“Just in the drive around the parking lot, every problem with the gasoline version of the car was gone.”
A member of EV Mississippi car club on social media, Shearer sees a pretty rapid adoption rate for EVs for a predominantly rural state.
“There are places like Jackson or Southaven or the Golden Triangle or the Gulf Coast, you see EVs everywhere,” he said, noting that even a small town Mississippi police department added a Tesla to its patrol fleet. “That tells you somebody made the calculations, ‘Is this going to save money for the public?’ and the answer is ‘Yes.’”
Chargers will come, Shearer said. Jackson just added 10 new public chargers in June. “People look at public charging and we need more of it,” he said, “but the reality is, most of your charging is done at home in your own driveway, unless you live in an apartment.”
“Cute, isn’t it?” Celestial Gordon-Griffin said, admiring the breezy blue and white Volkswagen Buzz, sporty Porche Taycan and more. “I’m always so in awe about everything that the Bean Path is doing.”
She is keen to have her two teenagers realize the importance of tech.
“My son loves to play video games, and I keep telling him if he learns how to code, he can build his own… I want him to just get bitten by the bug.” She hoped this EV focus could capitalize on his fascination with cars, plus, “Knowing that we’re really doing our part for global warming … It’s really good to see this.”
Making emerging technologies approachable and non-intimidating is key at the Bean Path, as is targeting those who usually lack access and exposure to them.
“We cover senior adults, we cover our K-12, we also cover our mom and pop shops, our small business owners, our startup companies,” Sephus said.
“We meet people where they are,” zeroing in on their core interests to show technology links and spark curiosity. “That’s how we build our ecosystem here in Mississippi.”
Cameron Wilson, a volunteer with American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE) was on hand as a ChatGPT coach, helping those at computer stations craft questions for generative AI to write a story, start a nonprofit to solve a community problem or start a business.
“The biggest thing that I say is to not be afraid of technology, and to use it for positive and good things.
“The hardest thing to do is start,” he said. “Once you get the question in the door, and you see that ChatGPT really has the power to give you in-depth details, it’s just using your imagination and going from there.”
Brittany Myburgh of Family STEAM Day partner Mississippi AI Collaborative noticed the growth from 2024’s first AI Month, when many needed a basic AI 101 course, to participants’ growing confidence and curiosity for specific applications this year.
“It feels like there is momentum. There’s a movement.”
Retiree Jesse Huffman was among those catching the wave. He learned about working a laser, 3D printing and drone flying at the Bean Path, and now enjoys projects on his own printer and flies his own drone.
“There’s some knowledge down here at the Bean Path,” said Huffman, who helped himself to it. “I tell everybody, it’s just like a gym, though instead of exercising your muscles, you exercise your brain.”
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