innovate arkansas

Electric Transportation of Arkansas
Owners: John Akins and David Bevins
Address: 323 S. Cross St., Suite B, Little Rock 72201
Phone: (501) 376-4382
Fax: (501) 374-4204
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat.10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Start-up: Feb. 4, 2008
Web site: www.etarkansas.com
E-mail: sales@etarkansas.com

John Akins and David Bevins hope to spark a revolution on the streets of Little Rock.

The two opened the 3,200-SF showroom of Electric Transportation of Arkansas this month, despite local investors' and banks' unwillingness to finance such a business venture. "It wasn't a financial issue, but they were just scared to invest in something so new to Arkansas," Akins said. "So we dug deep in our own pockets and found the nearly $150,000 it took to open up."

ETA is an electric- and solar-powered vehicle dealership that carries more than 40 different types of vehicles.

With dreams of opening a business together, Akins and Bevins considered many possible endeavors, including opening a restaurant, before finally deciding to explore the electric vehicle industry. Both are new to the trade, but expect that the dealership will allow them to serve a large demographic. "We've got everything from small golf carts to full-size, street-legal vehicles," Akins said.

Momentum seems to be growing as publicity grows, and the company's opening has drawn interest from across the state and even the nation. "We are carrying a hot ticket item," Akins said.

So what's next for the business that has already drawn such a positive response? "Growth is our main focus," Akins said. With his partner, he's making plans to one day make ETA a mainstream dealership in the Little Rock area.