Writer: Eleana Teran
2 min read August 2022 — Georgia and Tennessee are further positioning themselves as the backbone of the EV revolution through the cultivation of major developments and tackling challenges that come with expansion of the electric mobility industry.
Electric vehicles (EVs) are revolutionizing the automotive manufacturing industry across the nation. In Georgia alone, five companies have invested $14.3 billion into EV-related projects. Back in December of last year, Rivian Automotive Inc. confirmed a $5 billion manufacturing plant and 7,500 jobs in what Gov. Brian Kemp described as the single-largest economic development project in state history. “This (investment) represents the future of automotive manufacturing and establishes the leading role the Peach State will play in this booming industry,” said Kemp.
Kemp’s intuition was correct. Half a year later, the state landed another massive plant when Hyundai Motor Group announced its intention to invest $5.5 billion into an EV factory in Bryan County with an additional $1 billion investment from suppliers. The new factory would create approximately 8,100 new jobs in Georgia’s coastal region. As the state has become one of the country’s front-runners for EV manufacturing, the state can also expect an expansion in ancillary services and products. For example, Heliox, the European electric mobility (e-mobility) charging system manufacturer, chose to base its headquarters in Atlanta.
On the other hand, Tennessee secured Ford’s new electric vehicle plant back in 2021, following investments from General Motors and Volkswagen to add EV production at their assembly plants in the Volunteer State. In total, Tennessee has received over $11.9 billion in capital investment from EV projects and 10,200 new job commitments since 2017. Earlier this year, Tritium announced that Tennessee will house its new direct current (DC) fast charger manufacturing facility, employing over 500 people and producing between 10,000 to 30,000 charger units per year.
Tritium’s expansion will aid in the process of bringing charging solutions to Americans. In the announcement release, CEO Jane Hunter described this investment as “part of our strong push toward global growth in support of the e-mobility industry.” Tritium hopes to double or triple its charger production capacity, helping toward the federal goal to build a network of 500,000 EV chargers with a $7.5 billion investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Today, the medium ratio of EVs to charger ports in the country is 14.2. Georgia sits at the median with a ratio of 14.2, while Tennessee sits at less than 11 vehicles per charger.
Trends are positive. Cox Automotive registered a 13% increase in sales of EVs during the second quarter of the year despite the challenges created by tight inventory and high prices. Additionally, the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act includes several provisions to keep EVs affordable, creating significant cost savings for families considering EVs.
The South is no stranger to auto manufacturing. Tennessee has Ford, GM, and Volkswagen, while Georgia’s involvement as an original equipment manufacturer goes back to the early 1900s. However, despite their long history and the high demand for EVs in the country, the growth in EV manufacturing and ancillary products won’t come without obstacles.
The Georgia Electric Mobility and Innovation Alliance is working with the state’s universities and technical colleges to identify the workforce development needs for e-mobility and accomodate the 11% increase in relevant business and technology occupations that is expected by 2030. Similarly, community and technical colleges are partnering with industry leaders to create customized workforce training programs in Tennessee.
