In my 26-year driving career I have driven a lot of different vehicles: Sedans, sports cars, pickup trucks, vans, SUVs, go carts, golf carts, station wagons and grocery getters. I’ve logged over a million miles driving a bevy of different types of machines. But I have never once driven an electric car. Odds are that someday soon that will change.
A report from Bloomberg News predicts that by 2040 the sale of electric vehicles will hit 41 million. Sales of electric cars have risen and fallen over the last few years mostly tied to the fluctuation in gas prices.
However, during the first six months of 2016 almost 65,000 electric vehicles were sold, an increase of 19 percent over the same time period in 2015 even though gas prices have remained relatively low.
The biggest benefit of an electric car is obviously never having to buy gas again. The biggest drawback, at least to the people I have talked to, about an electric vehicle is the uncertainty of finding places to charge it and worries about not being able to travel long distances because of the battery life.
Those worries for Georgia drivers might be eased with news recently from the United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration. The agency announced a national network of alternative fueling and electric vehicle charging corridors on 48 interstates including Interstate 75 and Interstate 85 in Georgia.
According to the DOT: “The Alternative Fuel Corridor designation involves two categories. Signage-ready corridors currently have sufficient alternative fuel facilities to warrant signage; while signage-pending corridors do not meet the conditions for signage and require deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure to become signage-ready.”
“Transportation and vehicle technology is rapidly changing and meeting those changes requires new approaches,” Georgia DOT Commissioner Russell R. McMurry said. “Georgia DOT recognizes the importance of existing charging infrastructure and we encourage additional private investment to promote greater mobility options for alternative fuel vehicles. We support innovative long-term solutions that improve environmental sustainability.”
In addition to charging stations for electric vehicles, compressed natural gas will also be available on these corridors. In Georgia, I-85 stretches 179 miles and the electric corridor will stretch between Commerce and the Alabama state line. The compressed natural gas will be available between the South Caroline border and College Park. The remaining gaps in both corridors is pending.
Along I-75, compressed natural gas is “signage ready” for the entire 355-mile stretch of pavement through Georgia between the Tennessee border and the Florida line. I-75 is signage ready for electric vehicles between the Tennessee line and Warner Robins, then again between Tifton and Valdosta.
The increase in focus and infrastructure in regard to electric and alternate fuel vehicles is a promising development for the growth of these modes of transportation. The question remains however will the consumer see the benefits and become more likely to purchase an electric vehicle? I personally think it will take a big and prolonged increase in gas prices before there is a major movement toward these types of cars.
That being said, I would imagine that I will get behind the wheel of an electric car in the not so distant future.
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