Electric Vehicles:

The Future is Here

Written and Photographed by NEIL MONROE

For more than 120 years, the automobile has provided the impetus for the constant evolution of transportation and society. And for nearly all that time, the gas-powered internal combustion engine has powered that change.

But today there is a sea change taking hold in automotive technology as electric vehicles (EVs) have begun to earn an increasing share of the road. Projections vary, but a consensus of studies show that by 2040, electricity-powered cars and trucks may account for as much as 40% of global vehicle sales. 

This growth is driven in part by rapid-fire improvements in battery capabilities. As costs have declined rapidly, technology continues to provide greater power and range.

All-electric trucks and SUVs to drive profits, growth

While all-electric cars of the past decade have been mainly small, low-powered passenger cars, the future EV revolution will include not only small, four-passenger cars but large SUVs, pickup trucks and vans as well.

How about an all-electric, hard-working Ford F-150? Ford says it is coming by 2023, with a full hybrid, 430-horsepower model available now. The automaker also is now offering the Mustang Mach E, all-electric SUV.

In fact, every global car manufacturer, including Tesla, which helped pioneer the market, soon will have multiple models of electric vehicles for sale. Chevrolet, BMW, Fiat, Kia, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar and Volkswagen all have EVs available now with plans in place to soon offer an increasing number of models and styles. 

General Motors plans an extensive all-electric car, truck, and SUV expansion with its Cadillac brand at the heart of its program. Cadillac is expected to become an all-electric brand for GM by 2025. And Cadillac will introduce the first all-electric Cadillac, the Lyriq, in 2022.

There are also new companies on the verge of entering the market. Byton and Rivian, which are partially owned by Ford, will soon begin selling new, high-end EVs.

With advancements in batteries and technology, manufacturers fully expect EVs to generate profits – and soon. In fact, the investment bank UBS, which believes Volkswagen will become the first mass producer of EVs, predicts the German automaker will begin seeing profits from its EV lineup as early as 2022.

 Today, more than 20,000 plug-in electric vehicles ply Georgia’s roads, and that number does not include hybrid vehicles. Many of those vehicles are on the road as the result of a now-expired state tax credit that provided a $5,000 tax rebate with purchase of an all-electric vehicle.

Locally, EV inventory is typically low in west Georgia as long commutes and an abiding love of trucks and SUVs continue to dampen local demand for EVs – for now. Local dealers say sales are often to northside Atlanta residents who find lower prices online from dealerships in our area.

How will we make this work?

Change is coming, and it creates a key challenge for stakeholders: How will we make this work? Where will the power come from, and how do we increase charging capability to a traveling public?

Jimmy Adams is vice president of energy services for Coweta-Fayette EMC, headquartered in Palmetto and one of the largest electric membership corporations (EMCs) in Georgia. He believes that increasing the availability of charging stations is essential to the growth of the electric vehicle market.

The number of charging stations depends on the area you live, but there is not an abundance anywhere in west Georgia. In Coweta, Fayette and Troup counties alone, there are probably fewer than 20, and some of those are for use only by tenants or customers of the business where they are located. Charging up at public power stations is free at most stops, although some charge up to $3 per hour.

“Many people believe the EV market will really take off once car owners can find charging stations easily and charge their vehicles quickly, perhaps almost as fast as they can fill up with gas,” says Adams. “With current level-three chargers, drivers can recharge in 40 minutes or less, depending on the vehicle.”

But faster charging systems are coming, and newer model cars will be equipped to utilize them, according to Adams.

“We’re working throughout our service area to add stations, but at this point, the expense of the stations is a challenge,” he says.

Electricity is cheaper… even free

Most EV owners, as many as 95%, charge their cars at home. A Level 2 home charging system runs upwards of $1,000 including installation, though there are many options and cost levels. Electric vehicles recharge at different speeds, but the Level 2 charger will get the job done for nearly all cars in four to five hours. Of course, owners can simply plug their car into a home electrical outlet, but charging this way is exceptionally slow and may take up to 10 hours, depending on the car.

It is hard to say exactly how charging an EV impacts a home power bill, but it is typically less than $10 per month in most cases. The true cost varies from utility to utility but is generally equivalent to about $1 per gallon of gas. Many power companies have a plan in place to provide lower cost power if the car is charged in off-peak hours. Georgia Power has a plug-in electric vehicle rate that is less than half the cost of power during peak hours. Coweta-Fayette EMC offers a special “First Year Free” package that gives EV purchasers a $28 monthly credit that essentially covers the cost of additional off-peak power.

“We’ve had sign-ups throughout the year for the program, and we’re prepared to meet the increasing demand as it comes,” says Adams. “Electric vehicles are intertwined in our business. It’s part of our commitment to conservation and renewable energy, and we will work hard to help that segment of the market grow.”

Mobile phone apps are the best way to find charging stations. Level 2 chargers are located on major interstates throughout the country. For now, and into the near future, long trips in EVs will require advance planning.

Chattahoochee Region and The Ray

As EVs command more road space, a high-tech project on an 18-mile stretch of Interstate 85 through Troup County is planned to help drive much of the technological advancement to provide impetus for that growth.

Called The Ray, the roadway is a test bed for transportation technology, conservation, safety and efficiency. It is a project of the Ray C. Anderson Foundation, named for the highly successful industrialist who founded Interface Inc. in LaGrange in 1973. Today, Interface remains the world’s largest manufacturer of modular carpet for commercial and residential applications, and Anderson is remembered as one of the world’s leading proponents of sustainability in business.

Upon his death in 2011, much of Anderson’s fortune went to his foundation, which now is run by his children and grandchildren with a clear mission: “Through research and funding, the foundation aims to help create a better world for future generations.”

Following Anderson’s death, his youngest daughter, Harriet Anderson Langford, looked for ways to honor her father’s legacy. In 2014, she succeeded in having a section of I-85, which runs through his native Troup County, named for him in honor of his work on sustainability.

“We were honored to have the highway named the Ray C. Anderson Memorial Highway,” says Langford. “But then there was an epiphany: What is restorative about a highway? It’s the kind of question my father would have asked.”

And at that moment, the creation of perhaps the most ecologically advanced section of highway in the world began.

“We had put the name of my dad, who was the world’s greenest CEO, on a very dirty highway,” Langford recalls. “That was simply unacceptable to me.”

With the financial support of the foundation and a willing partner in the Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT), The Ray was born.

“We’re very proud of our relationship with DOT and very much appreciate their willingness to work with us to utilize new technologies and create a living transportation test bed,” says Langford. The project reflects a three-pronged approach, focusing on sustainability and safety. Key projects on The Ray include:

• Georgia’s first solar-powered PV4EV (photovoltaic for electric vehicle) charging station, located at the Georgia Visitor Information Center, just inside the state line from Alabama.

• A pilot project with Wattway for pavement that uses traditional solar cells, protected in a patented frame, that allows the road surface to generate clean energy under heavy vehicles. The test project covers 50 square meters of roadway.

• A pilot project for Georgia Power to install one megawatt of solar generation in the right-of-way alongside The Ray.

• Autonomous vehicle lane striping, in partnership with 3M “Connected Roads,” on 13 of The Ray’s 18 miles. This smart vehicle technology guides automated cars as they interpret their environment to make decisions regarding speed and direction to obstacle avoidance and emergency response. 

• Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) data ecosystem, with Panasonic and GDOT, that will enable Georgia’s first connected interstate roadway.

• Projects to mitigate water runoff, improve and control vegetation growth along the highway, and add plants that can absorb pollution in the runoff.

“We are constantly looking for new initiatives, ways to improve how we travel, how safely we travel, and how our travel impacts the environment,” Langford says. “There’s so much more to come, and technology is moving so rapidly. How about a wind turbine below a bridge to capture the energy from passing trucks? We’re looking at it.”

Or how about solar-powered reflectors that transmit real-time traffic and weather data? The foundation is considering that, too.

“We look for anything that will potentially save lives and improve the way we travel,” says Langford.

Want an EV?

Here’s what to expect

For nearly two decades, Beth Warren battled Atlanta traffic from Peachtree City around I-285 to the Galleria area, a difficult commute made easier by the reliability of her indefatigable 10-year-old Honda Accord.

She knew that once she retired, she would want something different, something new – something really new. So, in April 2016, she went online, put down $1,000, and began waiting for a new Tesla 3.

Warren finally got the email; her Tesla was ready. All she had to do was pay for it online and travel to Athens to pick it up. Tesla does not operate dealerships; instead, the company delivers cars to a pickup point, which in Warren’s case was Athens.

Teslas are paid for online prior to delivery. This is a major point of contention for existing auto dealers who feel Tesla has a major cost advantage – and who also feel this is a disservice to customers who have few options for repairs.

Nevertheless, Warren remains thrilled with her choice.

“To be honest, I feel like an early adopter, that I’m on the cutting edge of what’s coming,” she says. “And I love the car. It handles well, drives well.”

Plus, Tesla continuously provides updates to her car; one recent update increased the range it drives on a full charge by almost five percent.

“Another one, my grandchildren love,” says Warren. “They added a whoopee cushion function for each seat. Clearly, someone had a bit too much time on their hands.”

Her Tesla has had no mechanical issues, save for a balky glove box that wouldn’t stay closed, according to Warren, who says Tesla sent a technician to her home to fix the problem – and he rotated her tires for free.

In the name of research, this writer convinced Warren to allow him to drive her Tesla. It was, in a word, awesome. The car is quick, responsive and eerily quiet. It has a futuristic look that’s incredible and is loaded with smart driving technology.

Warren charges her car at night and has seen little change in her electric bill. Her longest trip? To Warner Robins with her husband John to visit their son. 

“We looked at it as an adventure,” she says. “We were concerned about recharging, but everything worked out fine.”

NCM