Press Mention Axios Atlanta June 27, 2022
SACE Referenced
Georgia rolls on to an electric vehicle future
In this mention
Georgia's electric vehicle ownership continues to grow with roughly 30,000 EVs on the road and 29% sales growth in 2021, according to the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. While the state is attracting major EV manufacturers like Rivian and Hyundai, EV adoption still lags national rates at 3% of registrations compared to 5.1% nationally, and charging infrastructure remains concentrated in metro Atlanta.
Sales rose by 29% in 2021
SACE
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Full transcript
Jun 28, 2022 - News
Georgia rolls on to an electric vehicle future
Thomas Wheatley
Electric vehicle ownership in Georgia keeps growing, as consumers' tastes change and a wave of new models hit the market.
Roughly 30,000 electric vehicles are on the road in Georgia, according to state officials' 2021 estimate.
Sales rose by 29% in 2021, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy says.
Yes, but: While the gains have been strong, statewide EV ownership still trails national rates.
- EVs made up 5.1% of U.S. vehicle registrations in December 2021, according to S&P Global Mobility.
- In April 2022, EVs made up roughly 3% of registrations in Georgia, the research firm says.
Georgia has 1,500 charging stations, though most are located in metro Atlanta, per the AJC. That makes long road trips using an EV a challenge.
Driving the news: Consumer interest in electric vehicles is at a global tipping point, Axios' Joann Muller writes.
- New research from Ernst & Young shows more than half of car buyers say they want their next car to be an EV.
- EV sales are up in the U.S. by more than 5%.
The big picture: Georgia is angling to become the Detroit of EVs, and has scored major wins by wooing Rivian and Hyundai to build plants here.
- With the big-name car manufacturers come other companies and suppliers that might not be household names but are hugely important in terms of creating jobs and supporting the industry.
Flashback: In the early 2010s, Georgia was one of the EV industry's strongest growth areas thanks in part to a state tax credit that made owning an energy-efficient car very cost-efficient.
- That ended in 2015, when the Georgia General Assembly replaced the tax credit with a user fee. Two years later, EV sales in Georgia had dropped by 80%, Utility Dive reported.
Of note: As for what's on metro Atlanta roads...