As gas prices rise, Georgia is emerging as a leader in electric vehicle manufacturing, which will help fight climate change and provide millions of jobs. Between Bluebird and SK Innovations, to the newer Rivian and Hyundai plants, Georgia is certainly becoming a hub for the construction of electric vehicles.
Earlier this year, Governor Brian Kemp helped strike a deal between the State of Georgia and Rivian to build a massive electric vehicle factory that will produce electric trucks when it begins operating in 2024. The plant will provide an estimated 7,500 jobs and cost $5 billion to construct, but the state of Georgia has offered Rivian $1.5 billion in tax incentives – a pretty sweet deal for the “buzzy” electric vehicle manufacturer.
However, the deal has created some controversy in the surrounding community. GCV stands with those residents in their concerns about how the Rivian plant will impact their quality of life, especially air and water quality. We have faith that Rivian will work closely with the community to build the new plant in an ethical and environmentally sound manner.
In addition to the Rivian plant, President Biden announced that Hyundai will also be spending $5 billion to open a new electric vehicle factory in Savannah, Georgia – adding a whopping 8,000 new jobs to the area.
This isn’t just good for creating homegrown Georgian jobs, it’s also good for families who are feeling squeezed at the gas pump right now, who will now be able to travel gas-free, enabled by the nationwide network of EV chargers supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It’s predicted that Georgians will save $1.3 billion on gasoline per year by 2035 with the increase in usage of electric vehicles.
How will we charge all of these new electric vehicles?
The new National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program was established by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and aims to build out a national electric vehicle charging network. Earlier this year, the U.S. Departments of Transportation and Energy announced nearly $5 billion that will be made available to states. Georgia will receive an estimated $134,975,283 for the first five years.
The Georgia legislature and the state Department of Transportation are both hard at work on an EV Infrastructure Deployment Plan, which must be submitted no later than August 1, 2022 before our state can access these funds. Stay tuned for more information about the plan and for opportunities to weigh in later this summer.
Who we elect matters
We must acknowledge the hard work of Senator Warnock and Senator Ossoff, who are fighting to make Georgia top contender for electric vehicle manufacturing jobs and clean energy investments. We are so honored to be represented by such pro-environment Senators, and thank Georgians for voting to support these climate champions. GCV is excited about the potential for our state to play a big role in the future of electric vehicle manufacturing. We hope that these developments will help Georgians by easing the burden of the high cost of gas while promoting a more eco-friendly way to travel around the state.
Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date about the latest environmental news and how to take action in Georgia!