Atlanta Electric Vehicle Development Coalition

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July 2019 Metro Atlanta Electric Vehicle Headlines

A 3 minute read for Battery, Vehicle and Charging Station News

#1 – Georgia Public Service Commission Approves Pilot for Used EV DC Charging Station Power

Nissan Leaf Battery Pack

July 16, 2019 – The Georgia Public Service Commission signed off on commissioner Tim Echols’ proposal to have Georgia Power and the commission work together to explore whether used batteries from electric vehicles could be re-purposed for fast-charging EV stations. Echols said there is an excess of partially-used products, particularly Nissan Leaf batteries, that still have a lot of energy left. Using these batteries for a pilot could help expand EV charging availability throughout the state while insulating the grid from electricity demand spikes. “There is no recycling available for these batteries at this time,” Echols said during the meeting. “Given we’re about to approve 80 MW of new lithium-ion batteries, it’s in our benefit to do a pilot program to see if it will work to reuse these batteries for a purpose that benefits the public and our grid and the Georgia community in general.” The program would be capped at $250,000 in costs passed down to ratepayers. ttps://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/trending/UlMh2otzI0d9KO4FwGjEXQ2

#2 – Audi E-Tron Debuts in North Georgia

2019 Audi E-Tron All Electric 208 mile range SUV

July 11, 2019 – Members of the Audi Club of Georgia gathered for their regular club meeting at Audi North Atlanta Roswell and for their introduction and test drive of the new Audi E-Tron SUV with 208 miles of all electric range powered by a 95 kWh battery back and two electric motors mounted on the front and rear trans axles. Die-hard Audi owners (most owned 3+ of the German Marquee) were positively impressed by the instant acceleration, regenerative braking and all of the qualities that make the SUV an Audi.

Charging Port with Push to Open and Close

Re-charging is handled via Level 1 (110-120V), Level 2 (240V ) and DC charging (480V+ with CCS cord) with input rated at 150kW delivering 100 miles of range in 10-15 minutes. Audi is part of Volkswagen of America, whose Electrify America unit is deploying fast charging stations under the Partial Consent Decree. Priced from $74,900 to $90,000 the E-tron is competitively priced to the only large SUV competitor, the Tesla Model X (305-325 miles all electric range). https://www.audiusa.com/models/audi-e-tron

#3 – Electrify America Metro Atlanta Charging Network Cycle 2 Expansion

Electrify America DC Fast Charge Station – WalMart Super Center

July 12, 2019. From Chris Campbell, Secretary EV Club of the South via their FaceBook page:

“Those of you clamoring for DCFC stations on the southside of Atlanta will be happy to read this. Electrify Atlanta will be expanding its presence in metro Atlanta significantly during the “Cycle 2” phase of their long term effort, and they have already reached out to the City of Atlanta and other organizations for guidance. Travis Buholtz [from the City of Atlanta Sustainability EV Infrastructure Fellow] came to our monthly meeting on June 19th and briefly showed us this map of EA’s proposed locations, and he encouraged us to share it. This map is focused on City of Atlanta, generally ITP. So don’t bother pointing out that it’s missing a zillion stations in the suburbs.” https://www.facebook.com/evcots/notifications/

Note Access to EV Club of the South FB Page requires Club approval


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The Economist Takes Note of the EV Tax Credit Fight in Georgia

This week’s issue of The Economist contains a short article on the electric vehicle tax incentives fight in Georgia written by Atlanta correspondent Miranda Johnson. She came across the story by literally falling all over the Nissan LEAFs prowling the streets of metro Atlanta.  Here’s the link to Miranda’s article:

http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21646758-georgias-breaks-electric-vehicles-may-be-too-good-last-sparks-fly

Stay tuned for the post script as the Georgia Assembly completes its 2015-2016 legislative session on April 2nd.  Right now, the current $5,000 ZEV tax credit has been approved for elimination by both the House and Senate, while adding a $200/ year/EV road usage fee.

Will Georgia soon be known as the most hostile state to EVs in the US?  Let’s hope not! If you live in Georgia, it’s not too late to contact Governor Nathan Deal and Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle (LEAF driver) and voice your opinion. Each of their webpages has a contact form:

Governor Nathan Deal:  https://gov.georgia.gov/webform/contact-governor-domestic-form

Lt. Governor Casey Cagle: http://ltgov.georgia.gov/contact-lt-governor


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US Electric Vehicle Sales break through 100,000 annual sales mark. But there are only 22,000 Connectors! “Captain we need more p’wer!”

US Electrified vehicle sales up are up an impressive +24% YTD November breaking the 100,000 unit mark!  Over 275,000 EVs on US roads +74% vs. same period last year.  EV charging station installations still lag EV sales:  one EV connector for every five EVs! A few readers asked for EV Charging rules.  Here’s a good resource: evrules.com