MONTGOMERY — Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded nearly $1 million to make it more convenient for electric-vehicle drivers to charge their vehicles in Alabama.

Gov. Ivey awarded three grants from funds remaining from Alabama’s portion of the nationwide Volkswagen settlement plan for electric charging stations at businesses and public venues in three locations, all in east Alabama.

“As the automotive industry, including manufacturers who call Alabama home, shift production toward electric vehicles, Alabama has made strides in supporting increased charging stations along our travel corridors,” Gov. Ivey said. “We will continue that progress as more vehicles, including many produced here in Alabama, are powered by electricity.”

Electric vehicle (EV) sales continue to set records, a positive trend for automakers Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai, which have Alabama-built EVs rolling off assembly lines in Tuscaloosa and Montgomery.

American consumers purchased more than 300,000 battery-powered vehicles (BEV) in the third quarter of 2023 to set a new sales record, according to a report by Kelley Blue Book. That’s up from the previous record of 298,000 EVs, set in the second quarter of this year, and reflects a nearly 50 percent increase from the third quarter of 2022.

In addition, the average cost of a new EV dropped from $65,000 a year ago got $50,683 now. That’s a decline of about 20 percent.