Electric Vehicles are Ready to Roll in Georgia

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Environment Georgia Research & Policy Center

Macon, GA—With the right policies in place, plug-in vehicles can reduce oil dependence in  Georgia by over 1.9 million gallons per year according to a new report released today by Environment Georgia.

“It’s time to plug in, power up, and protect our planet because plug-in vehicles have arrived here in Georgia, said Jennette Gayer, Policy Advocate with Environment Georgia.

According to the Environment Georgia report, Charging Forward: The Emergence of Electric Vehicles and Their Role in Reducing Oil Consumption, 8,131 drivers in Georgia could purchase their first plug-in vehicle within the next three years. Overall these vehicles will reduce Georgia’s  global warming pollution by 7,385 metric tons per year.  If the plug-in vehicles are powered by clean sources of electricity, these savings will rise to  34,064 metric tons per year.

“For decades, owning a car has meant consuming oil. Today, drivers finally have a choice,” said Gayer. “Thanks in part to smart policies, every major automobile manufacturer is offering a new plug-in vehicle powered primarily by electricity. For the first time, we can power our cars with clean energy.”

In Washington, President Obama  is poised to enact fuel efficiency standards that Environment Georgia credits as being the most important step ever taken to build clean, advanced technology cars that will get us off oil. His administration has also made investments in critical technologies, such as advanced batteries and high powered charging stations.

The Environment Georgia report shows the impressive technological breakthroughs that have helped move plug-in vehicles into the fast lane, from advanced batteries that have dropped in price by over 80 percent, to super-fast charging stations that have reduced charge times by over 90 percent.

To make plug-in vehicles a choice for more consumers, Environment Georgia’s report calls for more work to be done to build the infrastructure of the charging stations that can service these vehicles, as well as more investment in the technologies that will drive down prices. Currently, Georgia ranks 20th in the country in total number of vehicle charging stations. The Bibb County Charging Station, along with a station in Dublin, GA are some of the first stations to be built outside of the Atlanta Region.

Environment Georgia called on state and federal leaders to help plug-in vehicles achieve the greatest possible pollution reductions by adopting policies that will ensure we get more of our electricity from clean, renewable energy sources like wind and solar power.

Environment Georgia was joined at the EV charging station outside of the Bibb County Courthouse in Macon by Bibb County Chairman Sam Hart and Chairman of the Public Service Commission Tim Echols in releasing today’s report.

“As Bibb County makes more commitments to sustainability this is just another step towards the clean energy economy and an economically sound future,” remarked Chairman Hart.

“Electric vehicles offer all Americans hope for a cleaner, healthier future. But to make this promise a reality, continued public investment will be necessary to ensure that these vehicles are as convenient and as affordable as cars powered by oil,” concluded Gayer.

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