A comprehensive plan for guiding efforts to increase the number of charging stations in Alabama has identified Wiregrass and other areas in the state where demand for EV chargers is expected to be highest by 2030.
The Alabama Vehicle Infrastructure Plan, published on Wednesday by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA), was designed to determine the best way to deploy future federal and state funds to increase the number of fast-charging stations along Alabama’s major transportation routes.
According to a report, the plan broadens beyond the scope of ADECA’s earlier electric vehicle strategy, which was completed in 2020.
As more automotive manufacturers, including many of those here in Alabama, continue to announce significant investments in electric vehicles, we must continue to take steps to ensure that motorists have a place to recharge their vehicles on the road,” Gov. Kay Ivey said.
“This plan will serve a valuable purpose to guide the state’s efforts to support Alabamians’ choice to adopt electric vehicles by planning for appropriate infrastructure both now and into the future.”
The plan stresses that installing charging stations along federal highways is a top priority. It also stresses that hurricane evacuation routes would be considered potential EV charging infrastructure. Although the Wiregrass isn’t linked to the interstate system, many of its highways are designated as evacuation routes.
To encourage greater EV adoption in Alabama and draw out-of-state EV owners to come to Alabama, an analysis was conducted using PredictEV. This software assists communities in predicting EV charging demand to pinpoint areas where the demand for EV charging is likely to be greatest by 2030.
Locations where more EV charging stations are required are concentrated around Alabama’s biggest cities: Huntsville, Mobile, Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, Auburn, Birmingham, and Dothan.
The areas where tourists and Alabamians frequently visit and have longer stay times include a range of destinations types, like tourist spots, state parks, hotels, schools, universities, hospitals, shopping centers, outdoor recreation areas, stadiums, and other venues.
“Charging infrastructure is a key need as more and more electric vehicles travel Alabama’s interstates, highways, and roads in the near future,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. The plan helps target the travel corridors that will most benefit from the placement of electric vehicle charging stations and will help focus our efforts with future grants.
This is the most recent stage in the state’s commitment to electric vehicles. In 2021, Gov. Ivey awarded 18 grants totaling greater than $4 million to increase the size of EV charging infrastructure. ADECA will provide an additional $2 million in state grants for EV charging this year. The newly-adopted federal infrastructure package will also be used as additional funding to support EV charging stations in Alabama.
Did you realize? The Alabama Vehicle Infrastructure Plan prioritizes EV charging in popular areas and supports forward-thinking hurricane evacuation routes.