What does the historic shift to electric vehicles mean for metro Atlanta?
That question was at the center of this year’s ConnectATL Summit, which took place on July 25 at the Georgia World Congress Center. The event, put on by ARC and the Georgia DOT, attracted more than 300 planners, industry experts, and elected officials from across metro Atlanta.
ARC Executive Director & CEO Anna Roach set the stage in her welcome remarks by calling the shift to EV’s “the biggest transformation since the horse and buggy gave way to the automobile over 100 years ago.”
ConnectATL covered the EV transition from all angles, exploring the issue from the federal, state, and local levels. Here are some of the biggest takeaways:
Workforce development must be a priority to accommodate the growth of EV technology
Mary Waters, Chief Administrative Officer of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, told the audience that Georgia has made “impressive strides” in attracting EV and battery manufacturing to the state.
But she stressed workforce development is key to supporting EV’s continued growth in the Atlanta region and state. This includes staffing for manufacturing facilities, like the sprawling Hyundai EV plant being built west of Savannah, as well as service technicians to maintain our ever-expanding EV charging infrastructure.
Programs like Georgia Match are connecting students with post-high school graduation training and employment opportunities. And she noted the importance of “upscaling” employees to train them to work on new EV-related technologies.
Lunchtime keynote speaker Stuart Countess, President & CEO of Kia Georgia, said all employees at the Kia assembly plant in West Point were retrained for electrification through the state’s Quick Start program. To emphasize the importance of EVs in today’s auto market, Countess said Kia plans to launch a new EV in the U.S. each year through 2028.
ARC Chief Operating Officer Mike Alexander highlighted the Clean Tech Academy, a program led by Goodwill of North Georgia utilizing a 5-year, $2 million federal grant obtained by ARC that will offer training to help 250 people become EV technicians.
Innovation and investments are needed to address ‘range anxiety’ and equity concerns
While cost remains the biggest hurdle to EV adoption, experts say ‘range anxiety’ is another major factor. People accustomed to filling up their gas tank need confidence they can find an EV charging station when needed.
Andrew Heath, Deputy Chief Engineer at GDOT, said the state is building out a network of fast-charging stations on key highway corridors across Georgia, utilizing the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, which is funded through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. NEVI will help fill in the gaps in the state’s fast-charging network, he said. On NEVI-designated corridors, drivers will never be more than 50 miles from a high-speed charging station, he said.
“If you look at a map where high-speed charging stations are, they are mainly located here in metro Atlanta. Go down to Bainbridge or Albany. Do you have the same utilization? What is the incentive for the private sector to invest? That’s where NEVI comes in,” he said.
Down the road, innovations like wireless EV charging roads, known as inductive charging, could further reduce range anxiety, Waters said in her address.
Efforts are also underway to ensure the EV transition occurs in an equitable way. ARC Chief Executive Officer Mike Alexander said the agency has received $6.1 million in federal funding to install EV chargers in under-served parts of metro Atlanta. The level 2 chargers will enable drivers to “top off” their electric vehicles while shopping and running errands around town.
Organizations investing in EV charging infrastructure must be strategic to avoid costly mistakes
Glen Halliday, Electric Transportation Solutions Manager at Georgia Power, said anyone considering making an investment in EV charging infrastructure should start by engaging with their electric utility.
“We have to be able to look at the system to make sure we can meet the demand for those chargers, because they use a lot of power,” Halliday said during a panel discussion. One 100kW charger has the electricity demand of an entire McDonald’s restaurant, he said.
Other key steps, he said.
- Conduct research to identify any local ordinances or permitting that are required to install charging equipment.
- Explore funding opportunities to offset installation costs that exist at federal and state level. Utilities also can help reduce upfront costs.
“Don’t start with the charger. Start with a plan and start with a utility provider to make sure your plan can be executed on from a power supply standpoint,” said Todd Allums of EnviroSpark Energy Solutions, an Atlanta-based EV design and installation company.
“And make sure you are using the right product for the application,” he said. “Don’t put a level 2 charger at a gas station, no one will stay that long to fully charge. Put in a fast charger.”
What’s Next ATL, produced by the Atlanta Regional Commission, is a community resource that explores how metro Atlanta is growing and changing, and how the region is addressing its most pressing challenges.
