Electric vehicle ecosystem thrives in Georgia

The electric vehicle (EV) revolution isn’t on its way, it’s already here – Georgia already has more than 30,000 EVs on the streets, serviced by 930 public charging stations, with many more on the way. By 2030 it is expected there will be over 115 million EVs on the road nationwide, with nearly 60 percent of all passenger vehicle miles being electric.

The EV ecosystem that still has immense room for – and need for – growth. Just consider the industry: there’s automobile manufacturers looking to transition to making EVs, EV battery makers, battery recyclers, and of course broadening the public charging station grid beyond city centers.

Several EV industry leaders have already made the move to locate or expand to Georgia in recent years including battery producer SK Innovation, charging station leader Heliox, and all-electric bus manufacturer Blue Bird to meet the growing ecosystem needs for residential and business customers across the country.

Experts say that the electric revolution will lead to more change and innovation in the next 20 years than the auto industry saw in the previous 100. Naturally, state business and political leaders want in.

Georgia Power officials aren’t being shy about diving headfirst into the industry, after all “electricity” is kind of their bag. The company has already installed 51 Direct Current (DC) fast chargers statewide, and has plans to spend another $6 million in continuing to ramp up charging infrastructure by 2022. DC chargers offer high speed charging – adding 100 miles in just 12 minutes – along with dual dispensers and power sharing capabilities that allow more cars to charge at once.

In addition, along with parent Southern Company, Georgia Power is part of the “Electric Highway Coalition” that seeks to increase charging options along major highways routes from Washington D.C. to Texas. The company is also working to convert much of its own fleet to EVs by 2030.