As the automotive industry increasingly trends toward electric vehicles, Alabama is positioning itself as a manufacturing leader in a growing global market while developing its EV infrastructure at home.

The Alabama Department of Commerce announced in April that the state had for the first time become the top automotive exporter in the country, with international vehicle shipments exceeding $11.2 billion. That’s a 45% increase since 2021, when they totaled just $7.7 billion.

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GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) – Guntersville leaders cut the ribbon on the city’s first electric vehicle chargers on Tuesday.

The charging station is located in the public parking deck on Old Town Street. The unit can charge two vehicles.

Officials with the Lake Guntersville Chamber of Commerce say the charger was funded by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs and the Tennessee Valley Authority. The public works team and the horticulture team provided the space for the charger.

The Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition recently played a key role in helping seven school systems in the state secure $7.8 million to purchase a fleet of new electric buses. The arrangement is part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2023 Clean School Bus Program rebate competition.

As EVs and charging stations become more common in Alabama and across the nation, there is a need for first responders to be better equipped and prepared to respond to emergencies involving EVs and, more specifically, lithium-ion batteries. The Alabama Fire College is working to ensure that first and second responders in Alabama are trained on how to properly deal with battery-related emergencies.

There are a lot more electric vehicle owners in Alabama these days lining up to charge up.

Joshua Purdue has only been a Tesla owner for a year.

“Since I got my Tesla, I know five people that have a Tesla and always stop and ask me questions,” Purdue said.

When asked why he switched from driving a Land Rover to a Tesla, his answer was simple.

“I got tired of paying for gas,” Purdue said.

A new podcast about electric vehicles (EVs), featuring experts from Alabama, released its first episode today, with more slated to hit streaming platforms in the coming weeks.

The Drive Electric Alabama Podcast features discussions about the EV transition; EV infrastructure, funding and automobile manufacturing; as well as EV ties to economic development, training and workforce development in Alabama. Other topics include EV auto sales, EV battery research and EV commercial vehicles.

The podcasts are hosted by Cedric Daniels, recently retired EV marketing manager for Alabama Power, and Michael Staley, president of the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition. The nine-episode series explores the wide-ranging impact of EVs in Alabama.

A new study from the Alliance for Automotive Innovation found that Alabama ranks 19th in its ratio of electric vehicles per charging port.

The market share of new EV sales in Alabama was 2.6 percent in the third quarter of 2023– up from 2.4 percent in Q2 2023 and 2.3 percent in Q3 2022.

There are 14,883 EVs on the road in Alabama and 822 publicly available charging outlets – a ratio of 18 EVs for every public port. This includes 299 DC Fast chargers.

SCOTTSBORO – As automakers retool their factories to build electric vehicles, tens of thousands of EVs will be on the roads in the next decade.

Scottsboro Electric Power Board is helping to make sure Alabama is ready to meet the demand with charging infrastructure.

The board has installed two fast chargers at its office on Willow Street. The charging station is through a partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority, Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, and Seven States Power Corp.

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.”