Lawmakers working on the future of electric vehicles in Georgia

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Georgia has positioned itself to be at the forefront of electric transportation. The industry has invested more than $13 billion in projects like the Hyundai plant in Bryan County and the Rivian plant east of Atlanta.

Lawmakers are now focused to make sure that electric vehicles can run no matter where they are in the state.

Members of the General Assembly and chairmen on several boards head up the Committee on Electrification of Transportation. The group has been working all year long to come up with recommendations for the state legislative session that begins in January.

The committee put forth more than 70 recommendations for a vote on Wednesday. Their final report includes recommendations like limits to ensure fair competition for utility businesses, rates for drivers to charge up and inspections for these new charging stations.

Toni Botinelli owns a Prius. She said she was looking for an energy-efficient car. She debated about an electric car over a hybrid but needed a car that could go farther distances but said that when you get outside of the city, charging stations are harder to find.

“There aren’t a ton that are close to me. Metro areas have some, but going on road trips, they’re distant,” said Botinelli.

According to a study by EVadoption.com, Georgia is one of the states with the largest number of EV owners. More than 50,000 EVs are owned by Georgians. There is roughly one charger for every 14 electric vehicles on the road.

Copyright 2022 WANF. All rights reserved.